•  / 


GEORGE  BARK  McCuxciiEuN 


GRAUSTARK 


BY 
GEORGE  BARR  McCUTCHEON 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
1916 


COPYRI  GHT,     1901,    BY 
HERBERT  S.  STONE   &  CO. 


PS 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  MR.  GRENFALL  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE       1 

II  Two  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH  18 

III  MlSS    GUGGENSLOCKER  34 

IV  THE  INVITATION  EXTENDED  55 
V  SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  70 

VI  GRAUSTARK  84 

VII  THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE  103 

VIII  THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS  115 

IX  THE  EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH      131 

X  YETIVE  141 

XI  LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE  157 

XII  A  WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES  168 

XIII  UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY  179 

XIV  THE  EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM         195 
XV  THE  BETROTHAL  206 

XVI  A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT  220 

XVII  IN  THE  TOWER  234 

XVIII  THE  FLIGHT  AT  MIDNIGHT  246 

XIX  THE  SOLDIER  261 

XX  THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL  277 

XXI  FROM  A  WINDOW  ABOVE  291 

XXII  GRENFALL  LORRY'S  FOE  304 

XXIII  THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT  312 

XXIV  OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  325 
XXV  "  BECAUSE  I  LOVE  HIM  "  335 

XXVI  THE  GUESSING  OF  ANGUISH  349 

XXVII  ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  358 

XXVIII  THE  MAID  OF  GRAUSTARK  369 


2C47GGO 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Portrait  of  the  Author  Frontispiece 

"  I'm  sorry  you  are  the  princess  "  Facing  page  144 

"It  is  my  will"  "        "      160 

"  Graustark   welcomes   the   American 

prince"  198 

"  Good-bye,  my  American  "  204 

'  Two's  company,  three's  a  crowd  "  222 

"  You  dog,  I'll  kill  you  for  that  "  < '        * '      326 

"  He  is  my  prisoner.     He  dies  who  dares 

to  touch  him"  "        "      350 


GRAUSTARK 


MR.  GRENFALL  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE 

Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry  boarded  the  east-bound  ex 
press  at  Denver  with  all  the  air  of  a  martyr.  He 
had  traveled  pretty  much  all  over  the  world,  and 
he  was  not  without  resources,  but  the  prospect  of 
a  twenty-five  hundred  mile  journey  alone  filled  him 
with  dismay.  The  country  he  knew;  the  scenery 
had  long  since  lost  its  attractions  for  him;  count 
less  newsboys  had  failed  to  tempt  him  with  the  lit 
erature  they  thrust  in  his  face,  and  as  for  his  fel 
low-passengers — well,  he  preferred  to  be  alone.  And 
so  it  was  that  he  gloomily  motioned  the  porter  to 
his  boxes  and  mounted  the  steps  with  weariness. 

As  it  happened,  Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry  did  not  have 
a  dull  moment  after  the  train  started.  He  stumbled 
on  a  figure  that  leaned  toward  the  window  in  the 
dark  passageway.  With  reluctant  civility  he  apolo 
gized  ;  a  lady  stood  up  to  let  him  pass,  and  for  an 
instant  in  the  half  light  their  eyes  met,  and  that  is 
why  the  miles  rushed  by  with  incredible  speed. 

1 


2  GRAUSTARK 

Mr.  Lorry  had  been  dawdling  away  the  months 
in  Mexico  and  California.  For  years  he  had  felt, 
together  with  many  other  people,  that  a  sea-voyage 
was  the  essential  beginning  of  every  journey;  he 
had  started  round  the  world  soon  after  leaving 
Cambridge;  he  had  fished  through  Norway  and 
hunted  in  India,  and  shot  everything  from  grouse 
on  the  Scottish  moors  to  the  rapids  above  Assouan. 
He  had  run  in  and  out  of  countless  towns  and  coun 
tries  on  the  coast  of  South  America ;  he  had  done 
Russia  and  the  Rhone  valley  and  Brittany  and  Da 
mascus  ;  he  had  seen  them  all — but  not  until  then 
did  it  occur  to  him  that  there  might  be  something  of 
interest  nearer  home.  True  he  had  thought  of  join 
ing  some  Englishmen  on  a  hunting  tour  in  the 
Rockies,  but  that  had  fallen  through.  When  the 
idea  of  Mexico  did  occur  to  him  he  gave  orders  to 
pack  his  things,  purchased  interminable  green  tick 
ets,  dined  unusually  well  at  his  club,  and  was  off  in 
no  time  to  the  unknown  West. 

There  was  a  theory  in  his  family  that  it  would 
have  been  a  decenter  thing  for  him  to  stop  running 
about  and  settle  down  to  work.  But  his  thoughtful 
father  had  given  him  a  wealthy  mother,  and  as  earn 
ing  a  living  was  not  a  necessity,  he  failed  to  see  why 
it  was  a  duty.  "  Work  is  becoming  to  some  men," 
he  once  declared,  "  like  whiskers  or  red  ties,  but  it 
docs  not  follow  that  all  men  can  stand  it."  After 
that  the  family  found  him  "  hopeless,"  and  the  argu 
ment  dropped. 

He  was  just  under  thirty  years,  as  good-looking- 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE         3 

as  most  men,  with  no  one  dependent  upon  him  and 
an  income  that  had  withstood  both  the  Maison 
Doree  and  a  dahabeah  on  the  Nile.  He  never  tired 
of  seeing  things  and  peoples  and  places.  "  There's 
game  to  be  found  anywhere,"  he  said,  "  only  it's 
sometimes  out  of  season.  If  I  had  my  way — and 
millions — I  should  run  a  newspaper.  Then  all  the 
excitements  would  come  to  me.  As  it  is — I'm  poor, 
and  so  I  have  to  go  all  over  the  world  after  them." 
This  agreeable  theory  of  life  had  worked  well; 
he  was  a  little  bored  at  times — not  because  he  had 
seen  too  much,  but  because  there  were  not  more 
things  left  to  see.  He  had  managed  somehow  to  keep 
his  enthusiasms  through  everything — and  they  made 
life  worth  living.  He  felt,  too,  a  certain  elation — 
like  a  spirited  horse — at  turning  toward  home,  but 
Washington  had  not  much  to  offer  him,  and  the 
thrill  did  not  last.  His  big  bag  and  his  hat-box — 
pasted  over  with  foolish  labels  from  continental 
hotels — were  piled  in  the  corner  of  his  compart 
ment,  and  he  settled  back  in  his  seat  with  a  pleasur 
able  sense  of  expectancy.  The  presence  in  the  next 
room  of  a  very  smart  appearing  young  woman  was 
prominent  in  his  consciousness.  It  gave  him  an  un 
easiness  which  was  the  beginning  of  delight.  He 
had  seen  her  for  only  a  second  in  the  passageway, 
but  that  second  had  made  him  hold  himself  a  little 
straighter.  "  Why  is  it,"  he  wondered,  "  that  some 
girls  make  you  stand  like  a  footman  the  moment 
you  see  them  ?  "  Grenf all  had  been  in  love  too  many 
times  to  think  of  marriage;  his  habit  of  mind  was 


4  GRAUSTARK 

still  general,  and  he  classified  women  broadly.  At 
the  same  time  he  had  a  feeling  that  in  this  case 
generalities  did  not  apply  well;  there  was  something 
about  the  girl  that  made  him  hesitate  at  labelling 
her  "  Class  A,  or  B,  or  Z."  What  it  was  he  did  not 
know,  but — unaccountably — she  filled  him  with  an 
affected  formality.  He  felt  like  bowing  to  her  with 
a  grand  air  and  much  dignity.  And  yet  he  realized 
that  his  successes  had  come  from  confidence. 

At  luncheon  he  saw  her  in  the  dining-car.  Her 
companions  were  elderly  persons — presumably  her 
parents.  They  talked  mostly  in  French — occasion 
ally  using  a  German  word  or  phrase.  The  old  gen 
tleman  was  stately  and  austere — with  an  air  of  def 
erence  to  the  young  woman  which  Grenfall  did  not 
understand.  His  appearance  was  very  striking; 
his  face  pale  and  heavily  lined;  moustache  and 
imperial  gray;  the  eyebrows  large  and  bushy,  and 
the  jaw  and  chin  square  and  firm.  The  white- 
haired  lady  carried  her  head  high  with  unmistakable 
gentility.  They  were  all  dressed  in  traveling 
suits  which  suggested  something  foreign,  but  not 
Vienna  nor  Paris ;  smart,  but  far  from  American 
tastes. 

Lorry  watched  the  trio  with  great  interest.  Twice 
during  luncheon  the  young  woman  glanced  toward 
him  carelessly  and  left  an  annoying  impression  that 
she  had  not  seen  him.  As  they  left  the  table  and 
passed  into  the  observation  car,  he  stared  at  her 
with  some  defiance.  But  she  was  smiling,  and  her 
dimples  showed,  and  Grenfall  was  ashamed.  For 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE         5 

some  moments  he  sat  gazing  from  the  car  window — 
forgetting  his  luncheon — dreaming. 

When  he  got  back  to  his  compartment  he  rang 
vigorously  for  the  porter.  A  coin  was  carelessly 
displayed  in  his  fingers.  "  Do  you  suppose  you  could 
find  out  who  has  the  next  compartment,  porter?" 

"  I  don't  know  their  name,  suh,  but  they's  goin' 
to  New  York  jis'  as  fas'  as  they  can  git  thuh.  I  ain' 
ax  um  no  questions,  'cause  thuh's  somethin'  'bout  um 
makes  me  feel's  if  I  ain'  got  no  right  to  look  at  um 
even." 

The  porter  thought  a  moment. 

"  I  don'  believe  it'll  do  yuh  any  good,  suh,  to  try 
to  shine  up  to  tha'  young  lady.  She  ain'  the  sawt, 
I  can  tell  yuh  that.  I  done  see  too  many  guhls  in 
ma  time " 

"  What  are  you  talking  about  ?  I  am  not  trying  to 
shine  up  to  her.  I  only  want  to  know  who  she  is — 
just  out  of  curiosity."  Grenfall's  face  was  a  trifle 
red. 

**  Beg  pahdon,  suh ;  but  I  kind  o*  thought  you  was 
like  oth'  gent'men  when  they  see  a  han'some  woman. 
Allus  wants  to  fin'  out  somethin'  'bout  huh,  suh,  yuh 
know.  'Scuse  me  foh  misjedgin'  yuh,  suh.  Th'  lady 
in  question  is  a  foh'ner — she  lives  across  th'  ocean, 
's  fuh  as  I  can  fin'  out.  They's  in  a  hurry  to  git 
home  foh  some  reason,  'cause  they  ain'  goin'  to  stop 
this  side  o'  New  York,  'cept  to  change  cahs." 

"  Where  do  they  change  cars  ?  " 

"  St.  Louis — goin'  by  way  of  Cincinnati  an'  Wash- 
in'ton." 


6  GRAUSTARK 

Grcnfall's  ticket  carried  him  by  way  of  Chicago. 
He  cnught  himself  wondering  if  he  could  exchange 
his  ticket  in  St.  Louis. 

"  Traveling  with  her  father  and  mother,  I  sup 
pose?  " 

"  No,  suh ;  they's  huh  uncle  and  aunt.  I  hcah  huh 
call  'em  uncle  an'  aunt.  Th'  ole  gent'man  is  Uncle 
Caspar.  I  don'  know  what  they  talk  'bout.  It's 
mostly  some  foh'en  language.  Th'  young  lady  allus 
speaks  Amehican  to  me,  but  th'  old  folks  cain't  talk 
it  ver'  well.  They  all  been  to  'Frisco,  an'  the  hired 
he'p  they's  got  with  'cm  say  they  been  to  Mexico, 
too.  Th'  young  lady's  got  good  Amehican  dollahs, 
don'  care  wha'  she's  been.  She  allus  smiles  when 
she  ask  me  to  do  anythin',  an'  I  wouldn'  care  if  she 
nevah  tipped  me,  's  long  as  she  smiles  thatawaj." 

"  Servants  with  them,  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yas,  suh ;  man  an'  woman,  nex'  section  t'other 
side  of  ole  folks.  Can't  say  mor'n  fifteen  words  in 
Amehican.  Th'  woman  is  huh  maid,  an'  the  man 
he's  the  gen'ral  hustler  for  th'  hull  pahty." 

"  And  you  don't  know  her  name?  " 

"  No,  suh,  an'  I  cain't  ver'  well  fin'  out." 

"  In  what  part  of  Europe  does  she  live?  " 

"  Australia,  I  think,  suh." 

"  You  mean  Austria." 

"Do  I?  'Scuse  ma  ig'nance.  I  was  jis'  gucssin* 
at  it  anyhow;  one  place's  as  good  as  'nother  ovah 
thuh,  I  reckon." 

"  Have  you  one  of  those  dollars  she  gave  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  suh.    Heh's  a  coin  that  ain'  Amehican,  but 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE         7 

she  says  it's  wuth  seventy  cents  in  our  money.  It's 
a  foh'en  piece.  She  tell  me  to  keep  it  till  I  went 
ovah  to  huh  country;  then  I  could  have  a  high  time 
with  it — that's  what  she  says — '  a  high  time  ' — an* 
smiled  kind  o'  knowin'  like." 

"  Let  me  see  that  coin,"  said  Lorry  eagerly  taking 
the  silver  piece  from  the  porter's  hand.  "  I  never 
saw  one  like  it  before.  Greek,  it  looks  to  me,  but  I 
can't  make  a  thing  out  of  these  letters.  She  gave  it 
to  you?" 

"  Yas,  suh — las'  evenin'.  A  high  time  on  seventy 
cents.  That's  reediculous,  ain'  it?"  demanded  the 
porter  scornfully. 

"  I'll  give  you  a  dollar  for  it.  You  can  have  a 
higher  time  on  that." 

The  odd  little  coin  changed  owners  immediately, 
and  the  new  possessor  dropped  it  into  his  pocket 
with  the  inward  conviction  that  he  was  the  silliest 
fool  in  existence.  After  the  porter's  departure  he 
took  the  coin  from  his  pocket,  and  with  his  back  to 
the  door,  his  face  to  the  window,  studied  its  lettering. 

During  the  afternoon  he  strolled  about  the  train, 
his  hand  constantly  jingling  the  coins.  He  passed 
her  compartment  several  times,  yet  refrained  from 
looking  in.  But  he  wondered  if  she  saw  him  pass. 

At  one  little  station  a  group  of  Indian  bear  hunt 
ers  created  considerable  interest  among  the  passen 
gers.  Grenfall  was  down  at  the  station  platform  at 
once,  looking  over  a  great  stack  of  game.  As  he 
left  the  car  he  met  Uncle  Caspar,  who  was  hurrying 
toward  his  niece's  section.  A  few  moments  later 


8  GllAUSTARK 

she  came  down  the  steps,  followed  by  the  dignified 
old  gentleman.  Grenfall  tingled  with  a  strange  de 
light  as  she  moved  quite  close  to  his  side  in  her 
desire  to  see.  Once  he  glanced  at  her  face;  there 
was  a  pretty  look  of  fear  in  her  eyes  as  she  sur 
veyed  the  massive  bears  and  the  stark,  stiff  ante 
lopes.  But  she  laughed  as  she  turned  away  with 
her  uncle. 

Grenfall  was  smoking  his  cigarette  and  vigorously 
jingling  the  coins  in  his  pocket  when  the  train  pulled 
out.  Then  he  swung  on  the  car  steps  and  found 
himself  at  her  feet.  She  was  standing  at  the  top, 
where  she  had  lingered  a  moment.  There  was  an  ex 
pression  of  anxiety  in  her  eyes  as  he  looked  up  into 
them,  followed  instantly  by  one  of  relief.  Then  she 
passed  into  the  car.  She  had  seen  him  swing  upon 
the  moving  steps  and  had  feared  for  his  safety — 
had  shown  in  her  glorious  face  that  she  was  glad 
he  did  not  fall  beneath  the  wheels.  Doubtless  she 
would  have  been  as  solicitous  had  he  been  the  porter 
or  the  brakeman,  he  reasoned,  but  that  she  had 
noticed  him  at  all  pleased  him. 

At  Abilene  he  bought  the  Kansas  City  newspapers. 
After  breakfast  he  found  a  seat  in  the  observation 
car  and  settled  himself  to  read.  Presently  some  one 
took  a  seat  behind  him.  He  did  not  look  back,  but 
unconcernedly  cast  his  eyes  upon  the  broad  mirror 
in  the  opposite  car  wall.  Instantly  he  forgot  his 
paper.  She  was  sitting  within  five  feet  of  him,  a 
book  in  her  lap,  her  gaze  bent  briefly  on  the  flitting 
buildings  outside.  He  studied  the  reflection  fur- 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE         9 

tively  until  she  took  up  the  book  and  began  to  read. 
Up  to  this  time  he  had  wondered  why  some  non 
sensical  idiot  had  wasted  looking-glasses  on  the  walls 
of  a  railway  coach ;  now  he  was  thinking  of  him  as  a 
far-sighted  man. 

The  first  page  of  his  paper  was  fairly  alive  with 
fresh  and  important  dispatches,  chiefly  foreign.  At 
length,  after  allowing  himself  to  become  really  in 
terested  in  a  Paris  dispatch  of  some  international 
consequence,  he  turned  his  eyes  again  to  the  mirror. 
She  was  leaning  slightly  forward,  holding  the  open 
book  in  her  lap,  but  reading,  with  straining  eyes,  an 
article  in  the  paper  he  held. 

He  calmly  turned  to  the  next  page  and  looked 
leisurely  over  it.  Another  glance,  quickly  taken, 
showed  to  him  a  disappointed  frown  on  the  pretty 
face  and  a  reluctant  resumption  of  novel  reading.  A 
few  moments  later  he  turned  back  to  the  first  page, 
holding  the  paper  in  such  a  position  that  she  could 
not  see,  and,  full  of  curiosity,  read  every  line  of  the 
foreign  news,  wondering  what  had  interested  her. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  Lorry  would  have 
offered  her  the  paper,  and  thought  nothing  more  of 
it.  With  her,  however,  there  was  an  air  that  made 
him  hesitate.  He  felt  strangely  awkward  and  inex 
perienced  beside  her,  precedents  did  not  seem  to 
count.  He  arose,  tossed  the  paper  over  the  back  of 
the  chair  as  if  casting  it  aside  forever,  and  strolled 
to  the  opposite  window  and  looked  out  for  a  few 
moments,  jingling  his  coins  carelessly.  The  jingle 
of  the  pieces  suggested  something  else  to  him.  His 


10  GRAUSTARK 

paper  still  hung  invitingly,  upside  down,  as  he  had 
left  it,  on  the  chair,  and  the  lady  was  pouring  over 
her  novel.  As  he  passed  her  he  drew  his  right  hand 
from  his  pocket  and  a  piece  of  money  dropped  to 
the  floor  at  her  feet.  Then  began  an  embarrassed 
search  for  the  coin — in  the  wrong  direction,  of 
course.  He  knew  precisely  where  it  had  rolled,  but 
purposely  looked  under  the  seats  on  the  other  side 
of  the  car.  She  drew  her  skirts  aside  and  assisted 
in  the  search.  Four  different  times  he  saw  the  little 
piece  of  money,  but  did  not  pick  it  up.  Finally, 
laughing  awkwardly,  he  began  to  search  on  her  side 
of  the  car.  Whereupon  she  rose  and  gave  him  more 
room.  She  became  interested  in  the  search  and  bent 
over  to  scan  the  dark  corners  with  eager  eyes.  Their 
heads  were  very  close  together  more  than  once.  At 
last  she  uttered  an  exclamation,  and  her  hand  went 
to  the  floor  in  triumph.  They  arose  together,  flushed 
and  smiling.  She  had  the  coin  in  her  hand. 

"  I  have  it,"  she  said,  gaily,  a  delicious  foreign 
tinge  to  the  words. 

"  I  thank  you "  he  began,  holding  out  his  hand 

as  if  in  a  dream  of  ecstacy,  but  her  eyes  had  fallen 
momentarily  on  the  object  of  their  search. 

"  Oh !  "  she  exclaimed,  the  prettiest  surprise  in  the 
world  coming  into  her  face.  It  was  a  coin  from 
her  faraway  homeland,  and  she  was  betrayed  into 
the  involuntary  exclamation.  Instantly,  however, 
she  regained  her  composure  and  dropped  the  piece 
into  his  outstretched  hand,  a  proud  flush  mounting 
to  her  cheek,  a  look  of  cold  reserve  to  her  eyes.  He 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE       11 

had  hoped  she  would  offer  some  comment  on  what  she 
must  have  considered  a  strange  coincidence,  but  he 
was  disappointed.  He  wondered  if  she  even  heard 
him  say: 

"  I  am  sorry  to  have  troubled  you." 

She  had  resumed  her  seat,  and,  to  him,  there 
seemed  a  thousand  miles  between  them.  Feeling  de 
cidedly  uncomfortable  and  not  a  little  abashed,  he 
left  her  and  strode  to  the  door.  Again  a  mirror 
gave  him  a  thrill.  This  time  it  was  the  glass  in  the 
car's  end.  He  had  taken  but  half  a  dozen  steps 
when  the  brown  head  was  turned  slyly  and  a  pair 
of  interested  eyes  looked  after  him.  She  did  not 
know  that  he  could  see  her,  so  he  had  the  satisfac 
tion  of  observing  that  pretty,  puzzled  face  plainly 
until  he  passed  through  the  door. 

Grenfall  had  formed  many  chance  acquaintances 
during  his  travels,  sometimes  taking  risks  and  lib 
erties  that  were  refreshingly  bold.  He  had  seldom 
been  repulsed,  strange  to  say,  and  as  he  went  to  his 
section  dizzily,  he  thought  of  the  good  fortune  that 
had  been  his  in  other  attempts,  and  asked  himself 
why  it  had  not  occurred  to  him  to  make  the  same 
advances  in  the  present  instance.  Somehow  she 
was  different.  There  was  that  strange  dignity,  that 
pure  beauty,  that  imperial  manner,  all  combining  to 
forbid  the  faintest  thought  of  familiarity. 

He  was  more  than  astonished  at  himself  for  hav 
ing  tricked  her  a  few  moments  before  into  a  per 
fectly  natural  departure  from  indifference.  She  had 
boon  so  reserved  and  so  natural  that  he  looked  back 


12  GRAUSTARK 

and  asked  himself  what  had  happened  to  flatter  his 
vanity  except  a  passing  show  of  interest.  With  this, 
he  smiled  and  recalled  similar  opportunities  in  days 
gone  by,  all  of  which  had  been  turned  to  advantage 
and  had  resulted  in  amusing  pastimes.  And  here 
was  a  pretty  girl  with  an  air  of  mystery  about  her, 
worthy  of  his  best  efforts,  but  toward  whom  he  had 
not  dared  to  turn  a  frivolous  eye. 

He  took  out  the  coin  and  leaned  back  in  his  chair, 
wondering  where  it  came  from.  "  In  any  case,"  he 
thought,  "  it'll  make  a  good  pocket-piece  and  some 
day  I'll  find  some  idiot  who  knows  more  about 
geography  than  I  do."  Mr.  Lorry's  own  ideas  of 
geography  were  jumbled  and  vague — as  if  he  had 
got  them  by  studying  the  labels  on  his  hat-box.  He 
knew  the  places  he  had  been  to,  and  he  recognized 
a  new  country  by  the  annoyances  of  the  customs 
house,  but  beyond  this  his  ignorance  was  complete. 
The  coin,  so  far  as  he  knew,  might  have  come  from 
an}'  one  of  a  hundred  small  principalities  scattered 
about  the  continent.  Yet  it  bothered  him  a  little  that 
he  could  not  tell  which  one.  He  was  more  than 
curious  about  a  very  beautiful  young  woman — in 
fact,  he  was  undeniably  interested  in  her.  He  pleas 
antly  called  himself  an  "  ass  "  to  have  his  head  turned 
by  a  pretty  face,  a  foreign  accent  and  an  insignifi 
cant  coin,  and  yet  he  was  fascinated. 

Before  the  train  reached  St.  Louis  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  change  cars  there  and  go  to  Washington 
with  her.  It  also  occurred  to  him  that  he  might  go 
on  to  New  York  if  the  spell  lasted.  During  the  day 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE       13 

he  telegraphed  ahead  for  accommodations ;  and  when 
the  flyer  arrived  in  St.  Louis  that  evening  he  hur 
riedly  attended  to  the  transferring  and  rechecking 
of  his  baggage,  bought  a  new  ticket,  and  dined.  At 
eight  he  was  in  the  station,  and  8:  15  he  passed  her 
in  the  aisle.  She  was  standing  in  her  stateroom 
door,  directing  her  maid.  He  saw  a  look  of  sur 
prise  flit  across  her  face  as  he  passed.  He  slept 
soundly  that  night,  and  dreamed  that  he  was  cross 
ing  the  ocean  with  her. 

At  breakfast  he  saw  her,  but  if  she  saw  him  it 
was  when  he  was  not  looking  at  her.  Once  he  caught 
Uncle  Caspar  staring  at  him  through  his  monocle, 
which  dropped  instantly  from  his  eye  in  the  man 
ner  that  is  always  self-explanatory.  She  had  evi 
dently  called  the  uncle's  attention  to  him,  but  was 
herself  looking  sedately  from  the  window  when  Lorry 
unfortunately  spoiled  the  scrutiny.  His  spirits  took 
a  furious  bound  with  the  realization  that  she  had 
deigned  to  honor  him  by  recognition,  if  only  to  call 
attention  to  him  because  he  possessed  a  certain  coin. 

Once  the  old  gentleman  asked  him  the  time  of 
day  and  set  his  watch  according  to  the  reply.  In 
Ohio  the  man-servant  scowled  at  him  because  he  in 
voluntarily  stared  after  his  mistress  as  she  paced 
the  platform  while  the  train  waited  at  a  station. 
Again,  in  Ohio,  they  met  in  the  vestibule,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  step  aside  to  allow  her  to  pass.  He 
did  not  feel  particularly  jubilant  over  this  meeting; 
she  did  not  even  glance  at  him. 

Lorry   realized  that  his   opportunities  were  fast 


14  GRAUSTARK 

disappearing,  and  that  he  did  not  seem  to  be  any 
nearer  meeting  her  than  when  they  started.  He  had 
hoped  to  get  Uncle  Caspar  into  a  conversation  and 
then  use  him,  but  Uncle  Caspar  was  as  distant  as  an 
iceberg.  "  If  there  should  be  a  wreck,"  Grenfall 
caught  himself  thinking,  "  then  my  chance  would 
come;  but  I  don't  see  how  Providence  is  going  to 
help  me  in  any  other  way." 

Near  the  close  of  the  day,  after  they  left  St.  Louis, 
the  train  began  to  wind  through  the  foothills  of  the 
Alleghenies.  Bellairc,  Grafton  and  other  towns  were 
left  behind,  and  they  were  soon  whirling  up  the  steep 
mountain,  higher  and  higher,  through  tunnel  after 
tunnel,  nearer  and  nearer  to  Washington  every  min 
ute.  As  they  were  pulling  out  of  a  little  mining 
town  built  on  the  mountain  side,  a  sudden  jar  stopped 
the  train.  There  was  some  little  excitement  and  a 
scramble  for  information.  Some  part  of  the  engine 
was  disabled,  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  replace  it 
before  the  "  run  "  could  proceed. 

Lorry  strolled  up  to  the  crowd  of  passengers  who 
were  watching  the  engineer  and  fireman  at  work.  A 
clear,  musical  voice,  almost  in  his  ear,  startled  him, 
for  he  knew  to  whom  it  belonged.  She  addressed 
the  conductor,  who,  impatient  and  annoyed,  stood 
immediately  behind  him. 

"How  long  are  we  to  be  delayed?"  she  asked. 
Just  two  minutes  before  this  same  conductor  had 
responded  most  ungraciously  to  a  simple  question 
Lorry  had  asked  and  had  gone  so  far  as  to  instruct 
another  inquisitive  traveler  to  go  to  a  warmer  cli- 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE       15 

mate  because  he  persisted  in  asking  for  information 
which  could  not  be  given  except  by  a  clairvoyant. 
But  now  he  answered  in  most  affable  tones : 

"  We'll  be  here  for  thirty  minutes  at  least,  Miss — 
perhaps  longer." 

She  walked  away,  after  thanking  him,  and  Gren- 
fall  looked  at  his  watch. 

Off  the  main  street  of  the  town  ran  little  lanes 
leading  to  the  mines  below.  They  all  ended  at  the 
edge  of  a  steep  declivity.  There  was  a  drop  of  al 
most  four  hundred  feet  straight  into  the  valley  be 
low.  Along  the  sides  of  this  valley  were  the  en 
trances  to  the  mines.  Above,  on  the  ledge,  was  the 
machinery  for  lifting  the  ore  to  the  high  ground  on 
which  stood  the  town  and  railroad  yards. 

Down  one  of  these  street  walked  a  young  lady, 
curiously  interested  in  all  about  her.  She  seemed 
glad  to  escape  from  the  train  and  its  people,  and  she 
hurried  along,  the  fresh  spring  wind  blowing  her 
hair  from  beneath  her  cap,  the  ends  of  her  long 
coat  fluttering. 

Lorry  stood  on  the  platform  watching  her;  then 
he  lighted  a  cigarette  and  followed.  He  had  a  vague 
feeling  that  she  ought  not  to  be  alone  with  all  the 
workmen.  She  started  to  come  back  before  he 
reached  her,  however,  and  he  turned  again  toward 
the  station.  Then  he  heard  a  sudden  whistle,  and 
a  minute  later  from  the  end  of  the  street  he  saw 
the  train  pulling  out.  Lorry  had  rather  distin 
guished  himself  in  college  as  a  runner,  and  instinct 
ively  he  dashed  up  the  street,  reaching  the  tracks 


16  GRAUSTARK 

just  in  time  to  catch  the  railing  of  the  last  coach. 
But  there  he  stopped  and  stood  with  thumping  heart 
while  the  coaches  slid  smoothly  up  the  track,  leaving 
him  behind.  He  remembered  that  he  was  not  the 
only  one  left,  and  he  panted  and  smiled.  It  occurred 
to  him — when  it  was  too  late — that  he  might  have 
got  on  the  train  and  pulled  the  rope  or  called  the 
conductor,  but  that  was  out  of  the  question  now. 
After  all,  it  might  not  be  such  a  merry  game  to  stay 
in  that  filthy  little  town;  it  did  not  follow  that  she 
would  prove  friendly. 

A  few  moments  later  she  appeard — wholly  un 
conscious  of  what  had  happened.  A  glance  down 
the  track  and  her  face  was  the  picture  of  despair. 

Then  she  saw  him  coming  toward  her  with  long 
strides,  flushed  and  excited.  Regardless  of  appear 
ances,  conditions  or  consequences,  she  hurried  to 
meet  him. 

"  Where  is  the  train?  "  she  gasped,  as  the  distance 
between  them  grew  short,  her  blue  eyes  seeking  his 
beseechingly,  her  hands  clasped. 

"  It  has  gone." 

"Gone?     And  we — we  are  left?" 

He  nodded,  delighted  by  the  word  "  we." 

"  The  conductor  said  thirty  minutes ;  it  has  been 
but  twenty,"  she  cried,  half  tearfully,  half  angrily, 
looking  at  her  watch.  Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  "  she 
went  on,  distractedly.  He  had  enjoyed  the  sweet, 
despairing  tones,  but  this  last  wail  called  for  manly 
and  instant  action. 

"  Can  we  catch  the  train?     We  must!     I  will  give 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE       17 

one  thousand  dollars.  I  must  catch  it."  She  had 
placed  her  gloved  hand  against  a  telegraph  pole  to 
steady  her  trembling,  but  her  face  was  resolute,  im 
perious,  commanding.  She  was  ordering  him  to  obey 
as  she  would  have  commanded  a  slave.  In  her  voice 
there  was  authority,  in  her  eye  there  was  fear.  She 
could  control  the  one  but  not  the  other. 

"  We  cannot  catch  the  flyer.  I  want  to  catch  it 
as  much  as  you  and  " — here  he  straightened  him 
self — "  I  would  add  a  thousand  to  yours."  He  hesi 
tated  a  moment — thinking.  "  There  is  but  one  way, 
and  no  time  to  lose." 

With  this  he  turned  and  ran  rapidly  toward  the 
little  depot  and  telegraph  office. 


ri 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH 

Lorry  wasted  very  little  time.  He  dashed  into  the 
depot  and  up  to  the  operator's  window. 

"  What's  the  nearest  station  east  of  here?  " 

"  P ,"  leisurely  answered  the  agent,  in  some 

surprise. 

"How  far  is  H?" 

"  Four  miles." 

"  Telegraph  ahead  and  hold  the  train  that  just 
left  here." 

"  The  train  don't  stop  there." 

"  It's  got  to  stop  there — or  there'll  be  more  trouble 
than  this  road  has  had  since  it  began  business.  The 
conductor  pulled  out  and  left  two  of  his  passengers 
— gave  out  wrong  information,  and  he'll  have  to 
hold  his  train  there  or  bring  her  back  here.  If  you 
don't  send  that  order  I'll  report  you  as  well  as  the 
conductor."  GrenfalPs  manner  was  commanding. 
The  agent's  impression  was  that  he  was  important — 
that  he  had  a  right  to  give  orders.  But  he  hesitated. 

"  There's  no  way  for  you  to  get  to  P —  -  any 
way,"  he  said,  while  turning  the  matter  over  in  his 
mind. 

"  You  stop  that  train !     I'll  get  there  inside  of 
18 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         19 

twenty  minutes.  Now,  be  quick!  Wire  them  to 
hold  her — or  there'll  be  an  order  from  headquarters 
for  some  ninety-day  lay-offs."  The  agent  stared  at 
him ;  then  turned  to  his  instrument,  and  the  mes 
sage  went  forward.  Lorry  rushed  out.  On  the 
platform  he  nearly  ran  over  the  hurrying  figure  in 
the  tan  coat. 

"  Pardon  me.  I'll  explain  things  in  a  minute,"  he 
gasped  and  dashed  away.  Her  troubled  eyes  blinked 
with  astonishment. 

At  the  end  of  the  platform  stood  a  mountain 
coach,  along  the  sides  of  which  was  printed  in  yellow 
letters :  "  Happy  Springs."  The  driver  was  climb 
ing  up  to  his  scat  and  the  cumbersome  trap  was 
empty. 

"  Want  to  make  ten  dollars?  "  cried  Grenfall. 

"  What  say?  "  demanded  the  driver,  half  falling  to 
the  ground. 

"  Get  me  to  P inside  of  twenty  minutes,  and 

I'll  give  you  ten  dollars.  Hurry  up  !  Answer !  " 

"  Yes,  but,  you  see,  I'm  hired  to " 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right !  You'll  never  make  money 
easier.  Can  you  get  us  there  in  twenty  minutes?  " 

"  It's  four  mile,  pardner,  and  not  very  good  road, 
either.  Pile  in,  and  we'll  make  it  er  kill  old  Hip  and 
Jim.  Miss  the  train?  " 

"  Get  yourself  ready  for  a  race  with  an  express 
train  and  don't  ask  questions.  Kill  'em  both  if  you 
have  to.  I'll  be  back  in  a  second !  " 

Back  to  the  station  he  tore.  She  was  standing 
near  the  door,  looking  up  the  track  miserably.  Al- 


20  GRAUSTARK 

ready  night  was  falling.  Men  were  lighting  the 
switch  lanterns  and  the  mountains  were  turning  into 
great  dark  shadows. 

"  Come  quickly ;  I  have  a  wagon  out  here." 

Resistlcssly  she  was  hurried  along  and  fairly 
shoved  through  the  open  door  of  the  odd-looking 
coach.  He  was  beside  her  on  the  seat  in  an  instant, 
and  her  bewildered  ears  heard  him  say: 

"  Drive  like  the  very  deuce !  "  Then  the  door 
slammed,  the  driver  clattered  up  to  his  seat,  and  the 
horses  were  off  with  a  rush. 

"  Where  are  we  going?  "  she  demanded,  sitting 
very  straight  and  defiant. 

"  After  that  train.  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  when 
I  get  my  breath.  This  is  to  be  the  quickest  escape 
from  a  dilemma  on  record — providing  it  is  an  es 
cape."  By  this  time  they  were  bumping  along  the 
flinty  road  at  a  lively  rate,  jolting  about  on  the  seat 
in  a  most  disconcerting  manner.  After  a  few  long, 
deep  breaths  he  told  her  how  the  ride  in  the  Springs 
hack  had  been  conceived  and  of  the  arrangement  he 
had  made  with  the  despatcher.  He  furthermore  ac 
quainted  her  with  the  cause  of  his  being  left  when  he 
might  have  caught  the  train. 

"  Just  as  I  reached  the  track,  out  of  breath  but  re 
joicing,  I  remembered  having  seen  you  on  that  side 
street,  and  knew  that  you  would  be  left.  It  would 
have  been  heartless  to  leave  you  here  without  protec 
tion,  so  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  let  the  train  go  and  help 
you  out  of  a  very  ugly  predicament." 

"  How  can  I  ever  repay  you?  "  she  murmured.    "  It 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         21 

was  so  good  and  so  thoughtful  of  you.  Oh,  I  should 
have  died  had  I  been  left  alone.  Do  you  not  think 
my  uncle  will  miss  me  and  have  the  train  sent  back?  " 
she  went  on,  sagely. 

"  That's  so !  "  he  exclaimed,  somewhat  disconcerted. 
"  But  I  don't  know,  either.  He  may  not  miss  you 
for  a  long  time,  thinking  you  are  in  some  other 
car,  you  know.  That  could  easily  happen,"  trium 
phantly. 

"  Can  this  man  get  us  to  the  next  station  in  time?  " 
she  questioned,  looking  at  the  black  mountains  and 
the  dense  foliage.  It  was  now  quite  dark. 

"  If  he  doesn't  bump  us  to  death  before  we  get 
half  way  there.  He's  driving  like  the  wind." 

"  You  must  let  me  pay  half  his  bill,"  she  said,  de 
cidedly,  from  the  dark  corner  in  which  she  was  hud 
dling. 

He  could  find  no  response  to  this  peremptory  re 
quest. 

"  The  road  is  growing  rougher.  If  you  will  allow 
me  to  make  a  suggestion,  I  think  you  will  see  its  wis 
dom.  You  can  escape  a  great  deal  of  ugly  jost 
ling  if  you  will  take  hold  of  my  arm  and  cling  to  it 
tightly.  I  will  brace  myself  with  this  strap.  I  am 
sure  it  will  save  you  many  hard  bumps." 

Without  a  word  she  moved  to  his  side  and  wound 
her  strong  little  arm  about  his  big  one. 

"  I  had  thought  of  that,"  she  said,  simply. 
"  Thank  you."  Then,  after  a  moment,  while  his 
heart  thumped  madly :  "  Had  it  occurred  to  you 
that  after  you  ran  so  hard  you  might  have  climbed 


22  GRAUSTARK 

aboard  the  train  and  ordered  the  conductor  to  stop 
it  for  me?  " 

"  I — I  never  thought  of  that !  "  he  cried  confusedly. 

"  Please  do  not  think  me  ungrateful.  You  have 
been  very  good  to  me,  a  stranger.  One  often  thinks 
afterward  of  things  one  might  have  done,  don't  you 
know?  You  did  the  noblest  when  you  inconveni 
enced  yourself  for  me.  What  trouble  I  have  made 
for  you."  She  said  this  so  prettily  that  he  came 
gaily  from  the  despondency  into  which  her  shrewd 
ness,  bordering  on  criticism,  had  thrown  him.  He 
knew  perfectly  well  that  she  was  questioning  his 
judgment  and  presence  of  mind,  and,  the  more  he 
thought  of  it,  the  more  transparent  became  the 
absurdity  of  his  action. 

"  It  has  been  no  trouble,"  he  floundered.  "  An  ad 
venture  like  this  is  worth  no  end  of — er — inconveni 
ence,  as  you  call  it.  I'm  sure  I  must  have  lost  my 
head  completely,  and  I  am  ashamed  of  myself.  How 
much  anxiety  I  could  have  saved  you  had  I  been  pos 
sessed  of  an  ounce  of  brains !  " 

"  Hush !  I  will  not  allow  you  to  say  that.  You 
would  have  me  appear  ungrateful  when  I  certainly 
am  not.  Ach,  how  he  is  driving!  Do  you  think  it 
dangerous?  "  she  cried,  as  the  hack  gave  two  or  three 
wild  lurches,  throwing  him  into  the  corner,  and  the 
girl  half  upon  him. 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  he  gasped,  the  breath  knocked 
out  of  his  body.  Just  the  same,  he  was  very  much 
alarmed.  It  was  as  dark  as  pitch  outside  and  in,  and 
he  could  not  help  wondering  how  near  the  edge  of 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         23 

the  mountain  side  they  were  running.  A  false  move 
of  the  flying  horses  and  they  might  go  rolling  to  the 
bottom  of  the  ravine,  hundreds  of  feet  below.  Still, 
he  must  not  let  her  see  his  apprehension.  "  This  fel 
low  is  considered  the  best  driver  in  the  mountains," 
he  prevaricated.  Just  then  he  remembered  having 
detected  liquor  on  the  man's  breath  as  he  closed  the 
door  behind  him.  Perhaps  he  was  intoxicated ! 

"Do  you  know  him?  "  questioned  the  clear  voice, 
her  lips  close  to  his  ear,  her  warm  body  pressing 
against  his. 

"  Perfectly.  He  is  no  other  than  Light-horse 
Jerry,  the  king  of  stage  drivers."  In  the  darkness  he 
smiled  to  himself  maliciously. 

"  Oh,  then  we  need  fear  no  alarm,"  she  said,  re 
assured,  not  knowing  that  Jerry  existed  only  in  the 
yellow-backed  novel  her  informant  had  read  when 
a  boy. 

There  was  such  a  roaring  and  clattering  that  con 
versation  became  almost  impossible.  When  either 
spoke  it  was  with  the  mouth  close  to  the  ear  of  the 
other.  At  such  times  Grenfall  could  feel  her  breath 
on  his  cheek.  Her  sweet  voice  went  tingling  to  his 
toes  with  every  word  she  uttered.  He  was  in  a  daze, 
out  of  which  sung  the  mad  wish  that  he  might  clasp 
her  in  his  arms,  kiss  her,  and  then  go  tumbling  down 
the  mountain.  She  trembled  in  the  next  fierce  lurches, 
but  gave  forth  no  complaint.  He  knew  that  she  was 
in  terror  but  too  brave  to  murmur. 

Unable  to  resist,  he  released  the  strap  to  which  he 
had  clung  so  grimly,  and  placed  his  strong,  firm 


24  GRAUSTARK 

hand  encouragingly  over  the  little  one  that  gripped 
his  arm  with  the  clutch  of  death.  It  was  very  dark 
and  very  lonely,  too. 

"  Oh !  "  she  cried,  as  his  hand  clasped  hers.  "  You 
must  hold  to  the  strap." 

"  It  is  broken !  "  he  lied,  gladly.  "  There  is  no  dan 
ger.  See!  My  hand  does  not  tremble,  does  it?  Be 
calm !  It  cannot  be  much  farther." 

"  Will  it  not  be  dreadful  if  the  conductor  refuses 
to  stop?  "  she  cried,  her  hand  resting  calmly  beneath 
its  protector.  He  detected  a  tone  of  security  in  her 
voice. 

"  But  he  will  stop !  Your  uncle  will  see  to  that, 
even  if  the  operator  fails." 

"  My  uncle  will  kill  him  if  he  docs  not  stop  or 
come  back  for  me,"  she  said,  complacently. 

"  I  was  not  wrong,"  thought  Grenfall ;  "  he  looks 
like  a  duelist.  Who  the  devil  are  they,  anyhow?  " 
Then  aloud :  "  At  this  rate  we'd  be  able  to  beat  the 
train  to  Washington  in  a  straight-away  race.  Isn't 
it  a  delightfully  wild  ride  ?  " 

"  I  have  acquired  a  great  deal  of  knowledge  in 
America,  but  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  heard  your 
definition  of  delight.  I  agree  that  it  is  wild." 

For  some  moments  there  was  silence  in  the  noisy 
conveyance.  Outside,  the  crack  of  the  driver's  whip, 
his  hoarse  cries,  and  the  nerve-destroying  crash  of 
the  wheels  produced  impressions  of  a  mighty  storm 
rather  than  of  peace  and  pleasure. 

"  I  am  curious  to  know  where  you  obtained  the 
coin  you  lost  in  the  car  yesterday,"  she  said  at  last, 


as  if  relieving  her  mind  of  a  question  that  had  been 
long  subdued. 

"  The  one  you  so  kindly  found  for  me?  "  he  asked, 
procrastinatingly. 

"  Yes.  They  are  certainly  rare  in  this  coun- 
try." 

"  I  never  saw  a  coin  like  it  until  after  I  had  seen 
you,"  he  confessed.  He  felt  her  arm  press  his  a 
little  tighter,  and  there  was  a  quick  movement  of  her 
head  which  told  him,  dark  as  it  was,  that  she  was 
trying  to  see  his  face  and  that  her  blue  eyes  were 
wide  with  something  more  than  terror. 

"  I  do  not  understand,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  I  obtained  the  coin  from  a  sleeping-car  porter 
who  said  some  one  gave  it  to  him  and  told  him  to 
have  a  '  high  time '  with  it,"  he  explained  in  her 
ear. 

"  He  evidently  did  not  care  for  the  *  high  time,' ' 
she  said,  after  a  moment.     He  would  have  given  a 
fortune   for   one   glimpse   of   her   face   at   that   in 
stant. 

"  I  think  he  said  it  would  be  necessary  to  go  to 
Europe  in  order  to  follow  the  injunction  of  the 
donor.  As  I  am  more  likely  to  go  to  Europe  than 
he,  I  relieved  him  of  the  necessity  and  bought  his 
right  to  a  '  high  time.' ' 

There  was  a  long  pause,  during  which  she  at 
tempted  to  withdraw  herself  from  his  side,  her  little 
fingers  struggling  timidly  beneath  the  big  ones. 

"Are  you  a  collector  of  coins?"  she  asked  at 
length,  a  perceptible  coldness  in  her  voice. 


26  GRAUSTARK 

"  No.  I  am  considered  a  dispenser  of  coins.  Still, 
I  rather  like  the  idea  of  possessing  this  queer  bit  of 
money  as  a  pocket-piece.  I  intend  to  keep  it  for 
ever,  and  let  it  descend  as  an  heirloom  to  the  gen 
erations  that  follow  me,"  he  said,  laughingly.  "  Why 
are  you  so  curious  about  it?  " 

"  Because  it  comes  from  the  city  and  country  in 
which  I  live,"  she  responded.  "  If  you  were  in  a 
land  far  from  your  own  would  you  not  be  inter 
ested  in  anything — even  a  coin — that  reminded  you 
of  home?" 

"  Especially  if  I  had  not  seen  one  of  its  kind  since 
leaving  home,"  he  replied,  insinuatingly. 

"  Oh,  but  I  have  seen  many  like  it.  In  my  purse 
there  are  several  at  this  minute." 

"  Isn't  it  strange  that  this  particular  coin  should 
have  reminded  you  of  home?  " 

"  You  have  no  right  to  question  me,  sir,"  she  said, 
coldly,  drawing  away,  only  to  be  lurched  back  again. 
In  spite  of  herself  she  laughed  audibly. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  tantalizingly. 

"  When  did  he  give  it  to  you?  " 

"Who?" 

"  The  porter,  sir." 

"  You  have  no  right  to  question  me,"  he  said. 

"  Oh !  "  she  gasped.  "  I  did  not  mean  to  be  inquisi 
tive." 

"  But  I  grant  the  right.  He  gave  it  me  inside  of 
two  hours  after  I  first  entered  the  car." 

"At  Denver?" 

"  How  do  you  know  I  got  on  at  Denver?  " 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH          27 

"  Why,  you  passed  me  in  the  aisle  with  your  lug 
gage.  Don't  you  remember?  " 

Did  he  remember !  His  heart  almost  turned  over 
with  the  joy  of  knowing  that  she  had  really  noticed 
and  remembered  him.  Involuntarily  his  glad  fingers 
closed  down  upon  the  gloved  hand  that  lay  beneath 
them. 

"  I  believe  I  do  remember,  now  that  you  speak  of 
it,"  he  said,  in  a  stifled  voice.  "  You  were  standing 
at  a  window  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  I  saw  you  kissing  those  ladies  good 
bye,  too.  Was  one  of  them  your  wife,  or  were  they 
all  your  sisters?  I  have  wondered." 

"  They — they  were — cousins,"  he  informed  her, 
confusedly,  recalling  an  incident  that  had  been  for 
gotten.  He  had  kissed  Mary  Lyons  and  Edna  Bur- 
rage — but  their  brothers  were  present.  "  A  foolish 
habit,  isn't  it?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  have  no  grown  cousins,"  she 
replied,  demurely.  "  You  Americans  have  such  f unnj 
customs,  though.  Where  I  live,  no  gentleman  would 
think  of  pressing  a  lady's  hand  until  it  pained  her. 
Is  it  necessary?  "  In  the  question  there  was  a  quiet 
dignity,  half  submerged  in  scorn,  so  pointed,  so  un 
mistakable  that  he  flushed,  turned  cold  with  mor 
tification,  and  hastily  removed  the  amorous  fin 
gers. 

"  I  crave  your  pardon.  It  is  such  a  strain  to  hold 
myself  and  you  against  the  rolling  of  this  wagon  that 
I  unconsciously  gripped  your  hand  harder  than  I 
knew.  You — you  will  not  misunderstand  my  mo- 


28  GRAUSTARK 

tive?  "  he  begged,  fearful  lest  he  had  offended  her  by 
his  ruthlessness. 

"  I  could  not  misunderstand  something  that  does 
not  exist,"  she  said,  simply,  proudly. 

"  By  Jove,  she's  beyond  comparison !  "  he  thought. 

"  You  have  explained,  and  I  am  sorry  I  spoke  as 
I  aid.  I  shall  not  again  forget  how  much  I  owe 
you." 

"  Your  indebtedness,  if  there  be  one,  does  not  de 
prive  you  of  the  liberty  to  speak  to  me  as  you  will. 
You  could  not  say  anything  unjust  without  asking 
my  forgiveness,  and  when  you  do  that  you  more 
than  pay  the  debt.  It  is  worth  a  great  deal  to  me 
to  hear  you  say  that  you  owe  something  to  me,  for 
I  am  only  too  glad  to  be  your  creditor.  If  there  is 
a  debt,  you  shall  never  pay  it;  it  is  too  pleasant  an 
account  to  be  settled  with  *  you're  welcome.'  If  you 
insist  that  you  owe  much  to  me,  I  shall  refuse  to 
cancel  the  debt,  and  allow  it  to  draw  interest  for 
ever." 

"  What  a  financier!  "  she  cried.  "  That  jest  was 
worthy  of  a  courtier's  deepest  flattery.  Let  me  say 
that  I  am  proud  to  owe  my  gratitude  to  you.  You 
will  not  permit  it  to  grow  less." 

"  That  was  either  irony  or  the  prettiest  speech  a 
woman  ever  uttered,"  he  said,  warmly.  "  I  also  am 
curious  about  something.  You  were  reading  over 
my  shoulder  in  the  observation  car — 

"  I  was  not !  "  she  exclaimed,  indignantly.  "  How 
did  you  know  that?  "  she  inconsistently  went  on. 

"  You  forget  the  mirror  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
car." 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         29 

"  Ach,  now  I  am  offended." 

"With  a  poor  old  mirror?  For  shame!  Yet,  in 
the  name  of  our  American  glass  industry,  I  ask  your 
forgiveness.  It  shall  not  happen  again.  You  will 
admit  that  you  were  trying  to  read  over  my  shoulder. 
Thanks  for  that  immutable  nod.  Well,  I  am  curious 
to  know  what  you  were  so  eager  to  read." 

"  Since  you  presume  to  believe  the  mirror  instead 
of  me,  I  will  tell  you.  There  was  a  despatch  on  the 
first  page  that  interested  me  deeply." 

"  I  believe  I  thought  as  much  at  the  time.  Oh, 
confound  this  road ! "  For  half  a  mile  or  more  the 
road  had  been  fairly  level,  but,  as  the  ejaculation  in 
dicates,  a  rough  place  had  been  reached.  He  was 
flung  back  in  the  corner  violently,  his  head  coming 
in  contact  with  a  sharp  projection  of  some  kind.  The 
pain  was  almost  unbearable,  but  it  was  eased  by  the 
fact  that  she  had  involuntarily  thrown  her  arm 
across  his  chest,  her  hand  grasping  his  shoulder 
spasmodically. 

"  Oh,  we  shall  be  killed !  "  she  half  shrieked.  "  Can 
you  not  stop  him?  This  is  madness — madness  !  " 

"  Pray  be  calm !  I  was  to  blame,  for  I  had  become 
careless.  He  is  earning  his  money,  that's  all.  It 
was  not  stipulated  in  the  contract  that  he  was  to 
consider  the  comfort  of  his  passengers."  Grenfail 
could  feel  himself  turn  pale  as  something  warm 
began  to  trickle  down  his  neck.  "  Now  tell  me  which 
despatch  it  was.  I  read  all  of  them." 

"  You  did  ?  Of  what  interest  could  they  have 
been?  " 


30  GRAUSTARK 

"  Curiosity  docs  not  recognize  reason." 

"  You  read  every  one  of  them?  " 

"  Assuredly." 

"  Then  I  shall  grant  you  the  right  to  guess  which 
interested  me  the  most.  You  Americans  delight  in 
pu/zles,  I  am  told." 

"  Now,  that  is  unfair." 

"  So  it  is.  Did  you  read  the  despatch  from  Con 
stantinople?  "  Her  arm  fell  to  her  side  suddenly  as  if 
she  had  just  realized  its  position. 

"  The  one  that  told  of  the  French  ambassador's 
visit  to  the  Sultan?" 

"  Concerning  the  small  matter  of  a  loan  of  some 
millions — Yes.  Well,  that  was  of  interest  to  me,  in 
asmuch  -as  the  loan,  if  made,  will  affect  my  coun 
try." 

"  Will  you  tell  me  what  country  you  are  from?  " 

"  I  am  from  Graustark." 

"  Yes ;  but  I  don't  remember  where  that  is." 

"  Is  it  possible  that  your  American  schools  do  not 
teach  geography?  Ours  tell  us  where  the  United 
States  are  located." 

"  I  confess  ignorance,"  he  admitted. 

"  Then  I  shall  insist  that  you  study  a  map.  Grau 
stark  is  small,  but  I  am  as  proud  of  it  as  you  are  of 
this  great  broad  country  that  reaches  from  ocean  to 
ocean.  I  can  scarcely  wait  until  I  again  see  our  dear 
crags  and  valleys,  our  rivers  and  ever-blue  skies,  our 
plains  and  our  towns.  I  wonder  if  you  worship  your 
country  as  I  love  mine." 

"  From  the  tenor  of  your  remarks,  I  judge  that 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         31 

you  have  been  away  from  home  for  a  long  time,"  he 
volunteered. 

"  We  have  seen  something  of  Asia,  Australia, 
Mexico  and  the  United  States  since  we  left  Edel 
weiss,  six  months  ago.  Now  we  are  going  home — 
home !  "  She  uttered  the  words  so  lovingly,  so  long 
ingly,  so  tenderly,  that  he  envied  the  homeland. 

There  was  a  long  break  in  the  conversation,  both 
evidently  wrapped  in  thought  which  could  not  be 
disturbed  by  the  whirl  of  the  coach.  He  was  won 
dering  how  he  could  give  her  up,  now  that  she  had 
been  tossed  into  his  keeping  so  strangely.  She  was 
asking  herself  over  and  over  again  how  so  thrilling 
an  adventure  would  end. 

They  were  sore  and  fatigued  with  the  strain  on 
nerve  and  flesh.  It  was  an  experience  never  to  be 
forgotten,  this  romantic  race  over  the  wild  moun 
tain  road,  the  result  still  in  doubt.  Ten  minutes 
ago — strangers  ;  now — friends  at  least,  neither 
knowing  the  other.  She  was  admiring  him  for  his 
generalship,  his  wonderful  energy;  he  was  blessing 
the  fate  that  had  come  to  his  rescue  when  hope  was 
almost  dead.  He  could  scarcely  realize  that  he  was 
awake.  Could  it  be  an}^thing  but  a  vivid  fancy  from 
which  he  was  to  awaken  and  find  himself  alone  in 
his  berth,  the  buzzing,  clacking  car-wheels  piercing 
his  ears  with  sounds  so  unlike  those  that  had  been 
whispered  into  them  by  a  voice,  sweet  and  madden 
ing,  from  out  of  the  darkness  of  a  dreamland  cab? 

"  Surely  we  must  be  almost  at  the  end  of  this 
awful  ride,"  she  moaned,  yielding  completely  to  the 


32  GRAUSTARK 

long  suppressed  alarm.  "  Every  bone  in  my  body 
aches.  What  shall  we  do  if  they  have  not  held  the 
train?  " 

"  Send  for  an  undertaker,"  he  replied  grimly,  see 
ing  policy  in  jest.  They  were  now  ascending  an  in 
cline,  bumping  over  boulders,  hurtling  through 
treacherous  ruts  and  water-washed  holes,  rolling, 
swinging,  jerking,  crashing.  "  You  have  been  brave 
all  along;  don't  give  up  now.  It  is  almost  over. 
You'll  soon  be  with  your  friends." 

"  How  can  I  thank  you?  "  she  cried,  gripping  his 
arm  once  more.  Again  his  hand  dropped  upon  hers 
and  closed  gently. 

"  I  wish  that  I  could  do  a  thousand  times  as  much 
for  you,"  he  said,  thrillingly,  her  disheveled  hair 
touching  his  face,  so  close  were  his  lips.  "  Ah,  the 
lights  of  the  town ! "  he  cried  an  instant  later. 
"  Look ! " 

He  held  her  so  that  she  could  peer  through  the 
rattling  glass  window.  Close  at  hand,  higher  up  the 
steep,  many  lights  were  twinkling  against  the  black 
ness. 

Almost  before  they  realized  how  near  they  were 
to  the  lights,  the  horses  began  to  slacken  their  speed, 
a  moment  later  coming  to  a  standstill.  The  awful 
ride  was  over. 

"  The  train !  The  train !  "  she  cried,  in  ccstacy. 
"  Here,  on  the  other  side.  Thank  heaven !  " 

He  could  not  speak  for  the  joyful  pride  that  dis 
tended  his  heart  almost  to  bursting.  The  coach  door 
flew  open,  and  Light-horse  Jerry  yelled: 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         33 

"  Here  y'are !    I  made  her !  " 

"  I  should  say  you  did !  "  exclaimed  Grenf all,  climb 
ing  out  and  drawing  her  after  him  gently.  "  Here's 
your  ten." 

"  I  must  send  you  something,  too,  my  good  fel 
low,"  cried  the  lady.  "  What  is  your  address — 
quick?" 

"  William  Perkins,  0 ,  West  Virginny, 

ma'am." 

Lorry  was  dragging  her  toward  the  cars  as  the 
driver  completed  the  sentence.  Several  persons  were 
running  down  the  platform,  dimly  lighted  from  the 
string  of  car  windows.  She  found  time  to  pant  as 
they  sped  along 

"  He  was  not  Light-horse  Jerry,  at  all  1 " 


Ill 


MISS   GUGGEXSLOCKEB. 

He  laughed,  looking  down  into  her  serious  up 
turned  face.  A  brief  smile  of  understanding  flitted 
across  her  lips  as  she  broke  away  from  him  and 
threw  herself  into  the  arms  of  tall,  excited  Uncle 
Caspar.  The  conductor,  several  trainmen  and  a  few 
eager  passengers  came  up,  the  former  crusty  and 
snappish. 

"  Well,  get  aboard !  "  he  growled.  "  We  can't  wait 
all  night." 

The  young  lady  looked  up  quickly,  her  sensitive 
face  cringing  beneath  the  rough  command.  Lorry 
stepped  instantly  to  the  conductor's  side,  shook  his 
finger  vigorously  under  his  nose,  and  exclaimed  in 
no  uncertain  tones : 

"  Now,  that's  enough  from  you !  If  I  hear 
another  word  out  of  you,  I'll  make  you  sweat 
blood  before  to-morrow  morning.  Understand,  my 
friend." 

"Aw,  who  are  you?"  demanded  the  conductor, 
belligerently. 

"  You'll  learn  that  soon  enough.  After  this  you'll 
fcave  sense  enough  to  find  out  whom  you  are  talking 
to  before  you  open  that  mouth  of  yours.  Not  un- 
other  word !  "  Mr.  Greenf all  Lorry  was  not  president 

34 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  35 

of  the  road,  nor  was  he  in  any  way  connected  with 
it,  but  his  well-assumed  air  of  authority  caused  the 
trainman's  ire  to  dissolve  at  once. 

"  Excuse  me,  sir.  I've  been  worried  to  death  on 
this  run.  I  meant  no  offence.  That  old  gentleman 
has  threatened  to  kill  me.  Just  now  he  took  out  his 
watch  and  said  if  I  did  not  run  back  for  his  niece  in 
two  minutes  he'd  call  me  out  and  run  me  through. 
I've  been  nearly  crazy  here.  For  the  life  of  me,  I 
don't  see  how  you  happened  to  be 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right.  Let's  be  off,"  cried  Lorry, 
who  had  fallen  some  distance  behind  his  late  com 
panion  and  her  uncle.  Hurrying  after  them,  he 
reached  her  side  in  time  to  assist  her  in  mounting 
the  car  steps. 

"  Thank  you,"  smiling  down  upon  him  bewitch- 
ingly.  At  the  top  of  the  steps  she  was  met  by  her 
aunt,  behind  whom  stood  the  anxious  man-servant 
and  the  maid.  Into  the  coach  she  was  drawn  by  the 
relieved  old  lady,  who  was  critically  inspecting  her 
personal  appearance  when  Lorry  and  the  foreigner 
entered. 

"  Ach,  it  was  so  wild  and  exhilarating,  Aunt 
Yvonne,"  the  girl  was  saying,  her  eyes  sparkling. 
She  stood  straight  and  firm,  her  chin  in  the  air,  her 
hands  in  those  of  her  aunt.  The  little  traveling  cap 
was  on  the  side  of  her  head,  her  hair  was  loose  and 
very  much  awry,  strands  straying  here,  curls  blow 
ing  there  in  utter  confusion.  Lorry  fairly  gasped 
with  admiration  for  the  loveliness  that  would  not  be 
vanquished. 


36  GRAUSTARK 

"  We  came  like  the  wind !  I  shall  never,  never  for 
get  it !  "  she  said. 

"But  how  could  you  have  remained  there,  child? 
Tell  me  how  it  happened.  We  have  been  frantic," 
said  her  aunt,  half  in  English,  half  in  German. 

"  Not  now,  dear  Aunt  Yvonne.  See  my  hair ! 
What  a  fright  I  must  be !  Fortunate  man,  your  hair 
cannot  be  so  unruly  as  mine.  Oh !  "  The  exclama 
tion  was  one  of  alarm.  In  an  instant  she  was  at 
his  side,  peering  with  terrified  eyes  at  the  blood 
stains  on  his  neck  and  face.  "  It  is  blood !  You  are 
hurt !  Uncle  Caspar,  Hedrick — quick !  Attend  him ! 
Come  to  my  room  at  once.  You  are  suffering. 
Minna,  find  bandages !  " 

She  dragged  him  to  the  door  of  her  section  before 
he  could  interpose  a  remonstrance. 

"  It  is  nothing — a  mere  scratch.  Bumped  my  head 
against  the  side  of  the  coach.  Please  don't  worry 
about  it;  I  can  care  for  myself.  Really,  it 
doesn't " 

"  But  it  does !  It  has  bled  terribly.  Sit  there ! 
Now,  Hedrick,  some  water." 

Hedrick  rushed  off  and  was  back  in  a  moment 
with  a  basin  of  water,  a  sponge  and  a  towel,  and  be 
fore  Grenfall  fully  knew  what  was  happening,  the 
man-servant  was  bathing  his  head,  the  others  look 
ing  on  anxiously,  the  young  lady  apprehensively,  her 
hands  clasped  before  her  as  she  bent  over  to  inspect 
the  wound  above  his  ear. 

"  It  is  quite  an  ugly  cut,"  said  Uncle  Caspar,  criti 
cally.  "  Does  it  pain  you,  sir?  " 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  37 

"  Oh,  not  a  great  deal,"  answered  Lorry,  closing 
his  eyes  comfortably.  It  was  all  very  pleasant,  he 
thought. 

"Should  it  not  have  stitches,  Uncle  Caspar?" 
asked  the  sweet,  eager  voice. 

"  I  think  not.  The  flow  is  staunched.  If  the  gen 
tleman  will  allow  Hedrick  to  trim  the  hair  away  for 
a  plaster  and  then  bandage  it  I  think  the  wound  will 
give  him  no  trouble."  The  old  man  spoke  slowly 
and  in  very  good  English. 

"  Really,  Uncle,  is  it  not  serious  ?  " 

"  No,  no,"  interposed  Grenf  all  Lorry.  "  I  knew  it 
was  a  irifle.  You  cannot  break  an  American's  head. 
Let  me  go  to  my  own  section  and  I'll  be  ready  to 
present  myself  as  good  as  new  in  ten  minutes." 

"  You  must  let  Hedrick  bandage  your  head,"  she 
insisted.  "  Go  with  him,  Hedrick." 

Grenfall  arose  and  started  toward  his  section,  fol 
lowed  by  Hedrick. 

"  I  trust  you  were  not  hurt  during  that  reckless 
ride,"  he  said,  more  as  a  question,  stopping  in  the 
aisle  to  look  back  at  her. 

"  I  should  have  been  a  mass  of  bruises,  gashes  and 
lumps  had  it  not  been  for  one  thing,"  she  said,  a 
faint  flush  coming  to  her  cheek,  although  her  eyes 
looked  unfaltering  into  his.  "  Will  you  join  us  in 
the  dining  car?  I  will  have  a  place  prepared  for 
you  at  our  table." 

"  Thank  you.  You  are  very  good.  I  shall  join 
you  as  soon  as  I  am  presentable." 

"  We  are  to  be  honored,  sir,"  said  the  old  gentle- 


38  GRAUSTARK 

man,  but  in  such  a  way  that  Grcnfall  had  a  distinct 
feeling  that  it  was  he  who  was  to  be  honored.  Aunt 
Yvonne  smiled  graciously,  and  he  took  his  departure. 
While  Hedrick  was  dressing  the  jagged  little  cut, 
Grenfall  complacently  surveyed  the  patient  in  the 
mirror  opposite,  and  said  to  himself  a  hundred 
times :  "  You  lucky  dog !  It  was  worth  forty  gashes 
like  this.  By  Jove,  she's  divine !  " 

In  a  fever  of  eager  haste  he  bathed  and  attired 
himself  for  dinner,  the  imperturbable  Hedrick  as 
sisting.  One  query  filled  the  American's  mind :  "  I 
wonder  if  I  am  to  sit  beside  her."  And  then :  "  I 
have  sat  beside  her !  There  can  never  again  be  such 
delight! 

It  was  seven  o'clock  before  his  rather  unusual 
toilet  was  completed.  "  See  if  they  have  gone  to 
dinner,  Hedrick,"  he  said  to  the  man-servant,  who 
departed  ceremoniously. 

"  I  don't  know  why  he  should  be  so  damned  po 
lite,"  observed  Lorry,  gazing  wondcringly  after  him. 
"  I  am  not  a  king.  That  reminds  me.  I  must  in 
troduce  myself.  She  doesn't  know  me  from  Adam." 

Hedrick  returned  and  announced  that  they  had 
just  gone  to  the  dining  car  and  were  awaiting  him 
there.  He  hurried  to  the  dinner  and  made  his  way 
to  their  table.  Uncle  Caspar  and  his  niece  were 
facing  him  as  he  came  up  between  the  tables,  and 
he  saw,  with  no  little  regret,  that  he  was  to  sit  be 
side  the  aunt — directly  opposite  the  girl,  however. 
She  smiled  up  at  him  as  he  stood  before  them,  bow 
ing.  He  saw  the  expression  of  injury  in  those  deep, 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  39 

liquid  eyes  of  violet  as  their  gaze  wandered  over 
his  hair. 

"  Your  head?  I  see  no  bandage,"  she  said,  re 
proachfully. 

"  There  is  a  small  plaster  and  that  is  all.  Onlj 
heroes  may  have  dangerous  wounds,"  he  said,  laugh- 


"  Is  heroism  in  America  measured  by  the  number 
of  stitches  or  the  size  of  the  plaster?"  she  asked, 
pointedly.  "  In  my  country  it  is  a  joy,  and  not  a 
calamity.  Wounds  are  the  misfortune  of  valor. 
Pray,  be  seated,  Mr.  Lorry  —  is  it  not  ?  "  she  said, 
pronouncing  it  quaintly. 

He  sat  down  rather  suddenly  on  hearing  her  utter 
his  name.  How  had  she  learned  it?  Not  a  soul  on 
the  train  knew  it,  he  was  sure. 

"  I  am  Caspar  Guggenslocker.  Permit  me,  Mr. 
Lorry,  to  present  my  wife  and  my  niece,  Miss  Gug 
genslocker,"  said  the  uncle,  more  gracefully  than  he 
had  ever  heard  such  a  thing  uttered  before. 

In  a  daze,  stunned  by  the  name,  —  Guggenslocker, 
—  mystified  over  their  acquaintance  with  his  own 
when  he  had  been  foiled  at  every  fair  attempt  to 
learn  theirs,  Lorry  could  only  mumble  his  acknowl 
edgments.  In  all  his  life  he  had  never  lost  com 
mand  of  himself  as  at  this  moment.  Guggenslocker! 
He  could  feel  the  dank  sweat  o£  disappointment 
starting  on  his  brow.  A  butcher,  —  a  beer  maker,  — 
a  cobbler,  —  a  gardener,  —  all  synonyms  of  Guggen 
slocker.  A  sausage  manufacturer's  niece  —  Miss 
Guggenslocker  !  He  tried  to  glance  unconcernedlj 


40  GRAUSTARK. 

at  her  as  he  took  up  his  napkin,  but  his  eyes  wavered 
helplessly.  She  was  looking  serenely  at  him,  yet 
he  fancied  he  saw  a  shadow  of  mockery  in  her  blue 
eyes. 

"  If  you  were  a  novel  writer,  Mr.  Lorry,  what 
manner  of  heroine  would  you  choose?  "  she  asked, 
with  a  smile  so  tantalizing  that  he  understood  in 
stinctively  why  she  was  reviving  a  topic  once  aban 
doned.  His  confusion  was  increased.  Her  uncle 
and  aunt  were  regarding  him  calmly, — expectantly, 
he  imagined. 

"  I — I  have  no  ambition  to  be  a  novel  writer,"  he 
said,  "  so  I  have  not  made  a  study  of  heroines." 

"  But  you  would  have  an  ideal,"  she  persisted. 

"  I'm  sure  I — I  don't — that  is,  she  would  not 
necessarily  be  a  heroine.  Unless,  of  course,  it  would 
require  heroism  to  pose  as  an  ideal  for  such  a  prosaic 
fellow  as  I." 

"  To  begin  with,  you  would  call  her  Clarabel 
Montrose  or  something  equally  as  impossible.  You 
know  the  name  of  a  heroine  in  a  novel  must  be 
euphonious.  That  is  an  exacting  rule."  It  was  an 
open  taunt,  and  he  could  see  that  she  was  enjoying 
his  discomfiture.  It  aroused  his  indignation  and  his 
wits. 

"  I  would  first  give  my  hero  a  distinguished  name. 
No  matter  what  the  heroine's  name  might  be — pretty 
or  otherwise — I  could  easily  change  it  to  his  in  the 
last  chapter."  She  flushed  beneath  his  now  bright, 
keen  eyes  and  the  ready,  though  unexpected  retort. 
Uncle  Caspar  placed  his  napkin  to  his  lips  and 
coughed.  Aunt  Yvonne  studiously  inspected  her 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  41 

bill  of  fare.  "  No  matter  what  you  call  a  rose,  it  is 
always  sweet,"  he  added,  meaningly. 

At  this  she  laughed  good-naturedly.  He  mar 
veled  at  her  white  teeth  and  red  lips.  A  rose,  after 
all.  Guggenslocker,  rose;  rose,  not  Guggenslocker. 
No,  no!  A  rose  only!  He  fancied  he  caught  a  sly 
look  of  triumph  in  her  uncle's  swift  glance  toward 
her.  But  Uncle  Caspar  was  not  a  rose — he  was 
Guggenslocker.  Guggenslocker — butcher!  Still,  he 
did  not  look  the  part — no,  indeed.  That  extraordi 
nary  man  a  butcher,  a  gardener,  a — and  Aunt 
Yvonne?  Yet  they  were  Guggcnslockers. 

"  Here  is  the  waiter,"  the  girl  observed,  to  his  re 
lief.  "  I  am  famished  after  my  pleasant  drive.  It 
was  so  bracing,  was  it  not,  Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry?  " 

"  Give  me  a  mountain  ride  always  as  an  appe 
tizer,"  he  said,  obligingly,  and  so  ended  the  jest 
about  a  name. 

The  orders  for  the  dinner  were  given  and  the 
quartette  sat  back  in  their  chairs  to  await  the  coming 
of  the  soup.  Grenfall  was  still  wondering  how  she 
had  learned  his  name,  and  was  on  the  point  of  asking 
several  times  during  the  conventional  discussion  of 
the  weather,  the  train  and  the  mountains.  He  con 
siderately  refrained,  however,  unwilling  to  embar 
rass  her. 

"  Aunt  Yvonne  tells  me  she  never  expected  to  see 
me  alive  after  the  station  agent  telegraphed  that  we 
were  coming  overland  in  that  awful  old  carriage. 

The  agent  at  P says  it  is  a  dangerous  road,  at 

the  very  edge  of  the  mountain.  He  also  increased 


42  GRAUSTARK 

the  composure  of  my  uncle  and  aunt  by  telling  them 
that  a  wagon  rolled  off  yesterday,  killing  a  man,  two 
women  and  two  horses.  Dear  Aunt  Yvonne,  how 
troubled  you  must  have  been." 

"  I'll  confess  there  were  times  when  I  thought  we 
were  rolling  down  the  mountain,"  said  Lorry,  with 
a  relieved  shake  of  the  head. 

"  Sometimes  I  thought  we  were  soaring  through 
space,  whether  upward  or  downward,  I  could  not 
tell.  We  never  failed  to  come  to  earth,  though,  did 
we?  "  she  laughingl}-  asked. 

"  Emphatically  !  Earth  and  a  little  grief,"  he  said, 
putting  his  hand  to  his  head. 

"  Docs  it  pain  you?  "  she  asked,  quickly. 

"  Not  in  the  least.  I  was  merely  feeling  to  see  if 
the  cut  were  still  there.  Mr. — Mr.  Guggenslocker, 
did  the  conductor  object  to  holding  the  train?"  he 
asked,  remembering  what  the  conductor  had  told 
him  of  the  old  gentleman's  actions. 

"  At  first,  but  I  soon  convinced  him  that  it  should 
be  held,"  said  the  other,  quietly. 

"  My  husband  spoke  very  harshly  to  the  poor 
man,"  added  Aunt  Yvonne.  "  But  I  am  afraid,  Cas 
par,  he  did  not  understand  a  word  you  said.  You 
were  very  much  excited."  The  sweet  old  lady's  at 
tempts  at  English  were  much  more  laborious  than 
her  husband's. 

"  If  he  did  not  understand  my  English,  he  was 
very  good  at  guessing,"  said  her  husband,  grimly. 

"  He  told  me  you  had  threatened  to  call  him  out," 
ventured  the  young  man. 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  43 

"  Call  him  out?  Ach,  a  railroad  conductor!"  ex 
claimed  Uncle  Caspar,  in  fine  scorn. 

"  Caspar,  I  heard  you  say  that  you  would  call  him 
out,"  interposed  his  wife,  with  reproving  eyes. 

"  Ach,  God !  I  have  made  a  mistake !  I  see  it  all ! 
It  was  the  other  word  I  meant — down  not  out.  I 
intended  to  call  him  down,  as  you  Americans  say. 
I  hope  he  will  not  think  I  challenged  him."  He  was 
very  much  perturbed. 

"  I  think  he  was  afraid  you  would,"  said  Lorry. 

"  He  should  never  fear.  I  could  not  meet  a  rail 
road  conductor.  Will  you  please  tell  him  I  could 
not  so  condescend?  Besides,  dueling  is  murder  im 
your  country,  I  am  told." 

"  It  usually  is,  sir.  Much  more  so  than  in  Europe." 
The  others  looked  at  him  inquiringly.  "  I  mean  that 
in  America  when  two  men  pull  their  revolvers  and 
go  to  shooting  at  each  other,  some  one  is  killed — fre 
quently  both.  In  Europe,  as  I  understand  it,  a 
scratch  with  the  sword  ends  the  combat." 

"  You  have  been  misinformed,"  exclaimed  Uncle 
Caspar,  his  eyebrows  elevated. 

"  Why,  Uncle  Caspar  has  fought  more  duels  than 
he  can  count,"  cried  the  girl,  proudly. 

"  And  has  he  slain  his  man  every  time?"  asked 
Grcnfall,  smilingly,  glancing  from  one  to  the  other. 
Aunt  Yvonne  shot  a  reproving  look  at  the  girl, 
whose  face  paled  instantly,  her  eyes  going  quickly  in 
affright  to  the  face  of  her  uncle. 

"  God !  "  Lorry  heard  the  old  gentleman  mutter. 
He  was  looking  at  his  bill  of  fare,  but  his  eyes  were 


44  GRAUSTARK 

fixed  and  staring.  The  card  was  crumpling  between 
the  long,  bony  fingers.  The  American  realized  that 
a  forbidden  topic  had  been  touched  upon. 

"  He  has  fought  and  he  has  slain,"  he  thought  as 
quick  as  a  flash.  "  He  is  no  butcher,  no  gardener,  no 
cobbler.  That's  certain !  " 

"  Tell  us,  Uncle  Caspar,  what  you  said  to  the  con 
ductor,"  cried  the  young  lady,  nervously. 

"  Tell  them,  Caspar,  how  alarmed  we  were,"  added 
soft-voiced  Aunt  Yvonne.  Grenfall  was  a  silent,  in 
terested  spectator.  He  somehow  felt  as  if  a  scene 
from  some  tragedy  had  been  reproduced  in  that 
briefest  of  moments.  Calmly  and  composedly,  a 
half-smile  now  on  his  face,  the  soldierly  Caspar  nar 
rated  the  story  of  the  train's  run  from  one  station  to 
the  other. 

"  We  did  not  miss  you  until  we  had  almost 
reached  the  other  station.  Then  your  Aunt  Yvonne 
asked  me  where  A-OU  had  gone.  I  told  her  I  had 
not  seen  you,  but  went  into  the  coach  ahead  to 
search.  You  were  not  there.  Then  I  went  on  to 
the  dining  car.  Ach,  you  were  not  there.  In  alarm 
I  returned  to  our  car.  Your  aunt  and  I  looked 
everywhere.  You  were  not  anywhere.  I  shall  never 
forget  your  aunt's  face  when  she  sank  into  a  chair, 
nor  shall  I  feel  again  so  near  like  dying  as  when 
she  suggested  that  you  might  have  fallen  from  the 
train.  I  sent  Hedrick  ahead  to  summon  the  con 
ductor,  but  he  had  hardly  left  us  when  the  engine 
whistled  sharply  and  the  train  began  to  slow  up  in 
a  jerky  fashion.  We  were  very  pale  as  we  looked 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  45 

at  each  other,  for  something  told  us  that  the  stop 
was  unusual.  I  rushed  to  the  platform,  meeting 
Hedrick,  who  was  as  much  alarmed  as  I.  He  said 
the  train  had  been  flagged,  and  that  there  must  be 
something  wrong.  Your  aunt  came  out  and  told 
me  that  she  had  made  a  strange  discovery." 

Grenfall  observed  that  he  was  addressing  himself 
exclusively  to  the  young  lady. 

"  She  had  found  that  the  gentleman  in  the  next 
section  was  also  missing.  While  we  were  standing 
there  in  doubt  and  perplexity,  the  train  came  to  a 
standstill,  and  soon  there  was  shouting  on  the  out 
side.  I  climbed  down  from  the  car  and  saw  that 
we  were  at  a  little  station.  The  conductor  came 
running  toward  me  excitedly. 

"  '  Is  the  young  lady  in  the  car?  "  he  asked. 
"  '  No.    For  Heaven's  sake,  what  have  you  heard?  ' 
I  cried. 

"  '  Then  she  has  been  left  at  O ,'  he  exclaimed, 

and  used  some  very  extraordinarily  American  words. 
"  I  then  informed  him  that  he  should  run  back  for 
you,  first  learning  that  you  were  alive  and  well.  He 
said  he  would  be  damned  if  he  would — pardon  the 
word,  ladies.  He  was  very  angry,  and  said  he 
would  give  orders  to  go  ahead,  but  I  told  him  I 
would  demand  restitution  of  his  government.  He 
laughed  in  my  face,  and  then  I  became  shamelessly 
angry.  I  said  to  him : 

"  *  Sir,  I  shall  call  you  down — not  out,   as  you 
have  said — and  I  shall  run  you  through  the  mill.' 
"  That  was  good  American  talk,  sir,  was  it 


46  GRAUSTARK 

Mr.  Lorry?  I  wanted  him  to  understand  me,  so  I 
tried  to  use  your  very  best  language.  Some  gentle 
men  who  are  traveling  on  this  train  and  some  very 
excellent  ladies  also  joined  in  the  demand  that  the 
train  be  held.  His  despatch  from  O —  -  said  that 
you,  Mr.  Lorry,  insisted  on  having  it  held  for 
twenty  minutes.  The  conductor  insulted  you,  sir, 
by  saying  that  you  had  more — ah,  what  is  it? — gall 
than  any  idiot  he  had  ever  seen.  When  he  said 
that,  although  I  did  not  fully  understand  that  it  was 
a  reflection  on  you,  so  ignorant  am  I  of  your  lan 
guage,  I  took  occasion  to  tell  him  that  you  were  a 
gentleman  and  a  friend  of  mine.  He  asked  me  your 
name,  but,  as  I  did  not  know  it,  I  could  only  tell 
him  that  he  would  learn  it  soon  enough.  Then  he 
said  something  which  has  puzzled  me  ever  since. 
He  told  me  to  close  my  face.  What  did  he  mean 
by  that,  Mr.  Lorry?" 

"  Well,  Mr.  Guggenslocker,  that  means  in  re 
fined  American,  '  stop  talking,'  "  said  Lorry,  con 
trolling  a  desire  to  shout. 

"  Ach,  that  accounts  for  his  surprise  when  I 
talked  louder  and  faster  than  ever.  I  did  not  know 
what  he  meant.  He  said  positively  he  would  not 
wait,  but  just  then  a  second  message  came  from  the 
other  station.  I  did  not  know  what  it  was  then, 
but  a  gentleman  told  me  that  it  instructed  him  to 
hold  the  train  if  he  wanted  to  hold  his  job.  Job  is 
situation,  is  it  not?  Well,  when  he  read  that  mes 
sage  he  said  he  would  wait  just  twenty  minutes.  I 
asked  him  to  tell  me  how  you  were  coming  to  us, 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  47 

but  he  refused  to  answer.  Your  aunt  and  I  went  at 
once  to  the  telegraph  man  and  implored  him  to  tell 
us  the  truth,  and  he  said  you  were  coming  in  a  car 
riage  over  a  very  dangerous  road.  Imagine  oxir 
feelings  when  he  said  some  people  had  been  killed 
yesterday  on  that  very  road.  He  said  you  would 
have  to  drive  like  the — the  very  devil  if  you  got 
here  in  twenty  minutes." 

"  We  did,  Uncle  Caspar,"  interrupted  Miss  Gug- 
genslocker,  naively.  "  Our  driver  followed  Mr. 
Lorry's  instructions." 

Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry  blushed  and  laughed  awk 
wardly.  He  had  been  admiring  her  eager  face  and 
expressive  eyes  during  Uncle  Caspar's  recital.  How 
sweet  her  voice  when  it  pronounced  his  name,  how 
charming  the  foreign  flavor  to  the  words. 

"  He  would  not  have  understood  if  I  had  said 
other  things,"  he  explained,  hastily. 

"  When  your  aunt  and  I  returned  to  the  train  we 
saw  the  conductor  holding  his  watch.  He  said  to 
me:  'In  just  three  minutes  we  pull  out.  If  they 
are  not  here  by  that  time  they  can  get  on  the  best 
they  know  how.  I've  done  all  I  can.'  I  did  not  say 
a  word,  but  went  to  my  section  and  had  Hedrick 
get  out  my  pistols.  If  the  train  had  left  before  you 
arrived  it  would  be  without  its  conductor.  In  the 
meantime,  your  Aunt  Yvonne  was  pleading  with 
the  wretch.  I  hastened  back  to  his  side  with  my 
pistols  in  my  pocket.  It  was  then  that  I  told  him  to 
start  the  train  if  he  dared.  That  man  will  never 
know  how  close  he  was  to  death.  One  minute 


48  GRAUSTARK 

passed,  and  he  coolly  announced  that  but  one  minute 
was  left.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  give  him  one 
of  my  pistols  when  the  time  was  up,  and  to  tell  him 
to  defend  himself.  It  was  not  to  be  a  duel,  for 
there  was  nothing  regular  about  it.  It  was  only  a 
question  as  to  whether  the  train  should  move.  Then 
came  the  sound  of  carriage  wheels  and  gallop 
ing  horses.  Almost  before  we  knew  it  you  were 
with  us.  I  am  so  happy  that  you  were  not  a  minute 
later. 

There  was  something  so  cool  and  grim  in  the 
quiet  voice,  something  so  determined  in  those  bril 
liant  eyes,  that  Grenfall  felt  like  looking  up  the 
conductor  to  congratulate  him.  The  dinner  was 
served,  and  while  it  was  being  discussed  his  fair 
companion  of  the  drive  graphically  described  the 
experience  of  twenty  strange  minutes  in  a  shackle- 
down  mountain  coach.  He  was  surprised  to  find 
that  she  omitted  no  part,  not  even  the  hand  clasp  or 
the  manner  in  which  she  clung  to  him.  His  ears 
burned  as  he  listened  to  this  frank  confession,  for 
he  expected  to  hear  words  of  disapproval  from  the 
uncle  and  aunt.  His  astonishment  was  increased 
by  their  utter  disregard  of  these  rather  peculiar  de 
tails.  It  was  then  that  he  realized  how  trusting  she 
had  been,  how  serenely  unconscious  of  his  tender 
and  sudden  passion.  And  had  she  told  her  relatives 
that  she  had  kissed  him,  he  firmly  believed  they 
would  have  smiled  approvingly.  Somehow  the  real 
flavor  of  romance  was  striken  from  the  ride  by 
her  candid  admissions.  What  he  had  considered  a 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  49 

romantic  treasure  was  being  calmly  robbed  of  its 
glitter,  leaving  for  his  memory  the  blurr  of  an  ad 
venture  in  which  he  had  played  the  part  of  a  gallant 
gentleman  and  she  a  grateful  lady.  He  was  begin 
ning  to  feel  ashamed  of  the  conceit  that  had  mis 
led  him.  Down  in  his  heart  he  was  saying :  "  I 
might  have  known  it.  I  did  know  it.  She  is  not 
like  other  women."  The  perfect  confidence  that 
dwelt  in  the  rapt  faces  of  the  others  forced  into 
his  wondering  mind  the  impression  that  this  girl 
could  do  no  wrong. 

"  And,  Aunt  Yvonne,"  she  said,  in  conclusion, 
"  the  luck  which  you  say  is  mine  as  birthright  as 
serted  itself.  I  escaped  unhurt,  while  Mr.  Lorry 
alone  possesses  the  pain  and  unpleasantness  of  our 
ride." 

"  I  possess  neither,"  he  objected.  "  The  pain  that 
you  refer  to  is  a  pleasure." 

"  The  pain  that  a  man  endures  for  a  woman 
should  always  be  a  pleasure,"  said  Uncle  Caspar, 
smilingly. 

"  But  it  could  not  be  a  pleasure  to  him  unless  the 
woman  considered  it  a  pain,"  reasoned  Miss  Gug- 
genslocker.  "  He  could  not  feel  happy  if  she  did 
not  respect  the  pain." 

"  And  encourage  it,"  supplemented  Lorry,  drily. 
"  If  you  do  not  remind  me  occasionally  that  I  am 
hurt,  Miss  Guggenslocker,  I  am  liable  to  forget  it." 
To  himself  he  added :  "  I'll  never  learn  how  to  say 
it  in  one  breath." 

"  If  I  were  not  so  soon  to  part  from  you  I  should 


50  GRAUSTARK 

be  your  physician,  and,  like  all  physicians,  prolong 
your  ailment  interminably,"  she  said,  prettily. 

"  To  my  deepest  satisfaction,"  he  said,  warmly, 
not  lightly.  There  was  nothing  further  from  his 
mind  than  servile  flattery,  as  his  rejoinder  might 
imply.  "  Alas !  "  he  went  on,  "  We  no  sooner  meet 
than  we  part.  May  I  ask  when  you  are  to  sail?  " 

"  On  Thursday,"  replied  Mr.  Guggenslocker. 

"  On  the  Kaiser  Wilhclm  der  Grossc,"  added  his 
niece,  a  faraway  look  coming  into  her  eyes. 

"  We  are  to  stop  off  one  day,  to-morrow,  in  Wash 
ington,"  said  Aunt  Yvonne,  and  the  jump  that 
Lorry's  heart  gave  was  so  mighty  that  he  was  afraid 
the}'  could  see  it  in  his  face. 

"  My  uncle  has  some  business  to  transact  in  your 
city,  Mr.  Lorry.  We  are  to  spend  to-morrow  there 
and  Wednesday  in  New  York.  Then  we  sail.  Ach, 
how  I  long  for  Thursday !  "  His  heart  sank  like 
lead  to  the  depths  from  which  it  had  sprung.  It  re 
quired  no  effort  on  his  part  to  see  that  he  was 
alone  in  his  infatuation.  Thursday  was  more  to 
her  than  his  existence ;  she  could  forget  him  and 
think  of  Thursday,  and  when  she  thought  of  Thurs 
day,  the  future,  he  was  but  a  thing  of  the  past, 
not  even  of  the  present. 

"  Have  you  always  lived  in  Washington,  Mr. 
Lorry?  "  asked  Mrs.  Guggenslocker. 

"  All  my  life,"  he  replied,  wishing  at  that  moment 
that  he  was  homeless  and  free  to  choose  for  himself. 

"  You  Americans  live  in  one  city  and  then  in  an- 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  51 

other,"  she  said.  "  Now,  in  our  country  generation 
after  generation  lives  and  dies  in  one  town.  We 
are  not  migratory." 

"  Mr.  Lorry  has  offended  us  by  not  knowing  where 
Graustark  is  located  on  the  map,"  cried  the  young 
lady,  and  he  could  see  the  flash  of  resentment  in  her 
eyes. 

"  Why,  my  dear  sir,  Graustark  is  in "  began 

Uncle  Caspar,  but  she  checked  him  instantly. 

"  Uncle  Caspar,  you  are  not  to  tell  him.  I  have 
recommended  that  he  study  geography  and  discover 
us  for  himself.  He  should  be  ashamed  of  his  ignor 
ance." 

He  was  not  ashamed,  but  he  mentally  vowed  that 
before  he  was  a  day  older  he  would  find  Graustark 
on  the  map  and  would  stock  his  negligent  brain 
with  all  that  history  and  the  encyclopedia  had  to 
say  of  the  unknown  land.  Her  uncle  laughed,  and, 
to  Lorry's  disappointment,  obeyed  the  young  lady's 
command. 

"  Shall  I  study  the  map  of  Europe,  Asia  or 
Africa?  asked  he,  and  they  laughed. 

"  Study  the  map  of  the  world,"  said  Miss  Gug- 
genslocker,  proudly. 

"  Edelweiss   is  the  capital  ?  " 

"  Yes,  our  home  city, — the  queen  of  the  crags," 
cried  she.  "  You  should  see  Edelweiss,  Mr.  Lorry. 
It  is  of  the  mountain,  the  plain  and  the  sky.  There 
are  homes  in  the  valley,  homes  on  the  mountain  side 
and  homes  in  the  clouds." 

"And  yours?  From  what  you  say  it  must  be 
above  the  clouds — in  heaven." 


52  GRAUSTARK 

"  We  are  farthest  from  the  clouds,  for  we  live  in 
the  green  valley,  shaded  by  the  white  topped  moun 
tains.  We  may,  in  Edelweiss,  have  what  climate  we 
will.  Doctors  do  not  send  us  on  long  journeys  for 
our  health.  They  tell  us  to  move  up  or  down  the 
mountain.  We  have  balmy  spring,  glorious  summer, 
refreshing  autumn  and  chilly  winter,  just  as  we  like." 

"  Ideal !  I  think  you  must  be  pretty  well  toward 
the  south.  You  could  not  have  July  and  January  if 
you  were  far  north." 

"  True ;  yet  we  have  January  in  July.  Study  your 
map.  We  are  discernible  to  the  naked  eye,"  she 
said,  half  ironically. 

"  I  care  not  if  there  are  but  three  inhabitants  of 
Graustark,  all  told,  it  is  certainly  worthy  of  a  posi 
tion  on  any  map,"  said  Lorry,  gallantly ;  and  his  lis 
teners  applauded  with  patriotic  appreciation.  "  By 
the  way,  Mr.  Gug — Guggenslocker,  you  say  the  con 
ductor  asked  you  for  my  name  and  you  did  not 
know  it.  May  I  ask  you  how  you  learned  it  later 
on?  "  His  curiosity  got  the  better  of  him,  and  his 
courage  was  increased  by  the  champagne  the  old 
gentleman  had  ordered. 

"  I  did  not  know  your  name  until  my  niece  told  it 
to  me  after  your  arrival  in  the  carriage,"  said  Uncle 
Caspar. 

"  I  don't  remember  giving  it  to  Miss  Guggen 
slocker  at  any  time,"  said  Lorry. 

"  You  were  not  my  informant,"  she  said,  de 
murely. 

"  Surely  you  did  not  guess  it." 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  53 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed.     I  am  no  mind  reader." 

"  My  own  name  was  the  last  thing  you  could  have 
read  in  my  mind,  in  that  event,  for  I  have  not  thought 
of  it  in  three  days." 

She  was  sitting  with  her  elbows  on  the  table, 
her  chin  in  her  hands,  a  dreamy  look  in  her  blue 
eyes. 

"  You  say  you  obtained  that  coin  from  the  porter 
on  the  Denver  train?  " 

"  Within  two  hours  after  I  got  aboard." 

"  Well  that  coin  purchased  your  name  for  me," 
she  said,  calmly,  candidly.  He  gasped. 

"  You — you  don't  mean  that  you "  he  stam 
mered. 

"  You  see,  Mr.  Lorry.  I  wanted  to  know  the  name 
of  a  man  who  came  nearest  my  ideal  of  what  an 
American  should  be.  As  soon  as  I  saw  you  I  knew 
that  you  were  the  American  as  I  had  grown  to 
know  him  through  the  books, — big,  strong,  bold  and 
comely.  That  is  why  I  bought  your  name  of  the 
porter.  I  shall  always  say  that  I  know  the  name  of 
an  ideal  American, — Grenfall  Lorry." 

The  ideal  American  was  not  unmoved.  He  was 
in  a  fever  of  fear  and  happiness, — fear  because  he 
thought  she  was  jesting,  happiness  because  he  hoped 
she  was  not.  He  laughed  awkwardly,  absolutely 
unable  to  express  himself  in  words.  Her  frank 
statement  staggered  him  almost  beyond  the  power 
of  recovery.  There  was  joy  in  the  knowledge  that 
she  had  been  attracted  to  him  at  first  sight,  but  there 
was  bitterness  in  the  thought  that  he  had  come  to 


64  GRAUSTARK 

her  notice  as  a  sort  of  specimen,  the  name  of  which 
she  had  sought  as  a  botanist  would  look  for  the 
name  of  an  unknown  flower. 

"  I — I  am  honored,"  he  at  last  managed  to  say, 
his  eyes  gleaming  with  embarrassment.  "  I  trust 
you  have  not  found  your  first  judgment  a  faulty 
one."  He  felt  very  foolish  after  this  flat  remark. 

"  I  have  remembered  your  name,"  she  said,  gra 
ciously.  His  heart  swelled. 

"  There  are  a  great  many  better  Americans  than 
I,"  he  said.  "  You  forget  our  President  and  our 
statesmen." 

"  I  thought  they  were  mere  politicians." 

Grenfall  Lorry,  idealized,  retired  to  his  berth  that 
night,  his  head  whirling  with  the  emotions  inspired 
by  this  strange,  beautiful  woman.  How  lovely,  how 
charming,  how  naive,  how  queenly,  how  indifferent, 
how  warm,  how  cold — how  everything  that  puzzled 
him  was  she.  His  last  waking  thought  was : 

"  Guggenslocker !  An  angel  with  a  name  like 
ttat!" 


IV 


THE   INVITATION   EXTENDED 

They  were  called  by  the  porter  early  the  next 
morning.  The  train  was  pulling  into  Washington, 
five  hours  late.  Grenfall  wondered,  as  he  dressed, 
whether  fortune  would  permit  him  to  see  much  of 
her  during  her  brief  day  in  the  capital.  He  dreamed 
of  a  drive  over  the  avenues,  a  trip  to  the  monument, 
a  visit  to  the  halls  of  congress,  an  inspection  of 
public  buildings,  a  dinner  at  his  mother's  home, 
luncheon  at  the  Ebbitt,  and  other  attentions  which 
might  give  to  him  every  moment  of  her  day  in 
Washington.  But  even  as  he  dreamed,  he  was  cer 
tain  that  his  hopes  could  not  be  gratified. 

After  the  train  had  come  to  a  standstill  he  could 
hear  the  rustle  of  her  garments  in  the  next  compart 
ment.  Then  he  heard  her  sweep  into  the  passage, 
greet  her  uncle  and  aunt,  utter  a  few  commands  to 
the  maid,  and,  while  he  was  adjusting  his  collar  and 
necktie,  pass  from  the  car.  No  man  ever  made 
quicker  time  in  dressing  than  did  Lorry.  She  could 
hardly  have  believed  him  ideal  had  she  seen  his  scowl 
ing  face  or  heard  the  words  that  hissed  through 
his  impatient  teeth. 

"  She'll  get  away,  and  that'll  be  the  end  of  it,"  he 
growled,  seizing  his  traps  and  rushing  from  the 

55 


56  GRAUSTARK 

train  two  minutes  after  her  departure.  The  porter 
attempted  to  relieve  him  of  his  bags  on  the  platform, 
but  he  brushed  him  aside  and  was  off  toward  the 
station. 

"  Nice  time  for  you  to  call  a  man,  you  idiot,"  was 
his  parting  shot  for  the  porter,  forgetting,  of  course, 
that  the  foreigners  had  been  called  at  the  same  time. 
With  eyes  intent  on  the  crowd  ahead,  he  plunged 
along,  seeing  nobody  in  his  disappointed  flight.  "  I'll 
never  forgive  myself  if  I  miss  her,"  he  was  wailing 
to  himself.  She  was  not  to  be  seen  in  the  waiting- 
rooms,  so  he  rushed  to  the  sidewalk. 

"  Baggage  transferred?  " 

"Cab,  sir?" 

"  Go  to  the  devil — yes,  here !  Take  these  traps 

and  these  checks  and  rush  my  stuff  to  N.  —  , 

W—  -  Avenue.  Trunks  just  in  on  B.  &  O.," 
he  cried,  tossing  his  burdens  to  a  transfer  man  and 
giving  him  the  checks  so  quickly  that  the  fellow's 
sleepy  eyes  opened  wider  than  they  had  been  for  a 
month.  Relieved  of  his  impedimenta,  he  returned 
to  the  station. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Lorry.  Are  you  in  too 
much  of  a  hurry  to  see  your  friends?  "  cried  a  clear, 
musical  voice,  and  he  stopped  as  if  shot.  The  anx 
ious  frown  flew  from  his  brow  and  was  succeeded 
instantaneously  by  a  glad  smile.  He  wheeled  and 
beheld  her,  with  Aunt  Yvonne,  standing  near  the 
main  entrance  to  the  station.  "  Why,  good  morn 
ing,"  he  exclaimed,  extending  his  hand  gladly.  To 
his  amazement  she  drew  herself  up  haughtily  and 


THE  INVITATION  EXTENDED         57 

ignored  the  proffered  hand.  Only  for  a  brief  sec 
ond  did  this  strange  and  uncalled-for  hauteur  ob 
tain.  A  bright  smile  swept  over  her  face,  and  her 
repentant  fingers  sought  his  timidly,  even  awk 
wardly.  Something  told  him  that  she  was  not  ac 
customed  to  handshaking;  that  same  something  im 
pelled  him  to  bend  low  and  touch  the  gloved  fingers 
with  his  lips.  He  straightened,  with  face  flushed, 
half  fearful  lest  his  act  had  been  observed  by  curious 
loungers,  and  he  had  taken  the  liberty  in  a  public 
place  which  could  not  be  condoned.  But  she  smiled 
serenely,  approvingly.  There  was  not  the  faintest 
sign  of  embarrassment  or  confusion  in  the  lovely 
face.  Any  other  girl  in  the  world,  he  thought, 
would  have  jerked  her  hand  away  and  giggled  furi 
ously.  Aunt  Yvonne  inclined  her  head  slightly,  but 
did  not  proffer  her  hand.  He  wisely  refrained  from 
extending  his  own.  "  I  thought  you  had  left  the  sta 
tion,"  he  said. 

"  We  are  waiting  for  Uncle  Caspar,  who  is  giv 
ing  Hedrick  instructions.  Hedrick,  you  know,  is  to 
go  on  to  New  York  with  our  boxes.  He  will  have 
them  aboard  ship  when  we  arrive  there.  All  that 
we  have  with  us  is  hand  luggage.  We  leave  Wash 
ington  to-night." 

"  I  had  hoped  you  might  stay  over  a  few  days." 
"  It  is  urgent  business  that  compels  us  to  leave  so 
hastily,  Mr.  Lorry.  Of  all  the  cities  in  the  world, 
I  have  most  desired  to  see  the  capital  of  your  coun 
try.  Perhaps  I  may  return  some  day.  But  do  not 
let  us  detain  you,  if  you  are  in  a  hurry." 


58  GRAUSTARK 

He  started,  looked  guilty,  stammered  something 
about  baggage,  said  he  would  return  in  a  moment, 
and  rushed  aimlessly  away,  his  ears  fiery. 

"  I'm  all  kinds  of  a  fool,"  he  muttered,  as  he  raced 
around  the  baggage-room  and  then  back  to  where 
he  had  left  the  two  ladies.  Mr.  Guggenslocker  had 
joined  them  and  they  were  preparing  to  depart. 
Miss  Guggenslocker's  face  expressed  pleasure  at  see 
ing  him. 

"  We  thought  you  would  never  return,  so  long 
were  you  gone,"  she  cried,  gaily.  He  had  been  gone 
just  two  minutes  by  the  watch!  The  old  gentleman 
greeted  him  warmly,  and  Lorry  asked  them  to  what 
hotel  they  were  going.  On  being  informed  that  they 
expected  to  spend  the  day  at  the  Ebbitt,  he  volun 
teered  to  accompany  them,  saying  that  he  intended 
to  breakfast  there.  Quicker  than  a  flash  a  glance, 
unfathomable  as  it  was  brief,  passed  between  the 
three,  not  quickly  enough,  however,  to  escape  his 
keen,  watchful  eyes,  on  the  alert  since  the  beginning 
of  his  acquaintance  with  them,  in  conjunction  with 
his  ears,  to  catch  something  that  might  satisfy,  in 
a  measure,  his  burning  curiosity.  What  was  the 
meaning  of  that  glance?  It  half  angered  him,  for 
in  it  he  thought  he  could  distinguish  annoyance,  ap 
prehension,  dismay  or  something  equally  disquiet 
ing.  Before  he  could  stiffen  his  long  frame  and 
give  vent  to  the  dignified  reconsideration  that  flew 
to  his  mind,  the  young  lady  dispelled  all  pain  and 
displeasure,  sending  him  into  raptures,  by  say 
ing: 


THE  INVITATION  EXTENDED          59 

"  How  good  of  you !  We  shall  be  so  delighted  to 
have  you  breakfast  with  us,  Mr.  Lorry,  if  it  is  con 
venient  for  you.  You  can  talk  to  us  of  your  won 
derful  city.  Now,  say  that  you  will  be  good  to  us; 
stay  your  hunger  and  neglect  your  personal  affairs 
long  enough  to  give  us  these  early  morning  hours. 
I  am  sure  we  cannot  trouble  you  much  longer." 

He  expostulated  gallantly  and  delightedly,  and 
then  hurried  forth  to  call  a  cab.  At  eight  o'clock  he 
breakfasted  with  them,  his  infatuation  growing  deeper 
and  stronger  as  he  sat  for  the  hour  beneath  the 
spell  of  those  eyes,  the  glorious  face,  the  sweet,  im 
perial  air  that  was  a  part  of  her,  strange  and  un 
affected.  As  they  were  leaving  the  dining-room,  he 
asked  her  if  she  would  not  drive  with  him. 

His  ardent  gallantry  met  with  a  surprising  rebuke. 
The  conversation  up  to  that  moment  had  been  bright 
and  cheery,  her  face  had  been  the  constant  reflector 
of  his  own  good  spirits,  and  he  had  every  reason 
in  the  world  to  feel  that  his  suggestion  would  be 
received  with  pleasure.  It  was  a  shock  to  him,  there 
fore,  to  see  the  friendly  smile  fade  from  her  eyes 
and  a  disdainful  gleam  succeed  it.  Her  voice,  a 
moment  ago  sweet  and  affable,  changed  its  tone  in 
stantly  to  one  so  proud  and  arrogant  that  he  could 
scarcely  believe  his  cars. 

"  I  shall  be  engaged  during  the  entire  day,  Mr. 
Lorry,"  she  said,  slowly,  looking  him  fairly  in  the 
eyes  with  cruel  positiveness.  Those  eyes  of  his  were 
wide  with  surprise  and  the  glowing  gleam  of  in 
jured  pride.  His  lips  closed  tightly;  little  red  spots 


60  GRAUSTARK 

flew  to  his  checks  and  then  disappeared,  leaving  his 
face  white  and  cold;  his  heart  throbbed  painfully 
with  mingled  emotions  of  shame  and  anger.  For 
a  moment  he  dared  not  speak. 

"  I  have  reason  to  feel  thankful  that  you  are  to 
be  engaged,"  he  said  at  last,  calmly,  without  taking 
his  eyes  from  hers.  "  I  am  forced  to  believe,  much 
to  my  regret,  that  I  have  offended  when  I  intended 
to  please.  You  will  pardon  my  temerity." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  resentment  in  his 
voice  or  the  glitter  in  his  eyes.  Impulsively  her 
little  hand  was  stretched  forth,  falling  upon  his 
arm,  while  into  her  eyes  came  again  the  soft  glow 
and  to  her  lips  the  most  pathetic,  appealing  smile, 
the  forerunner  of  a  pretty  plea  for  forgiveness.  The 
change  startled  and  puzzled  him  more  than  ever.  In 
one  moment  she  was  unreasonably  rude  and  imperi 
ous,  in  the  next  gracious  and  imploring. 

"  Forgive  me,"  she  cried,  the  blue  eyes  battling 
bravely  against  the  steel  in  the  grey  ones  above.  "  I 
was  so  uncivil !  Perhaps  I  cannot  make  you  under 
stand  why  I  spoke  as  I  did,  but,  let  me  say,  I  richly 
deserved  the  rebuke.  Pray  forgive  me  and  forget 
that  I  have  been  disagreeable.  Do  not  ask  me  to 
tell  you  why  I  was  so  rude  to  you  just  now,  but 
overlook  my  unkind  treatment  of  your  invitation. 
Please,  Mr.  Lorry,  I  beg  of  you — I  beg  for  the  first 
time  in  my  life.  You  have  been  so  good  to  me;  be 
good  to  me  still." 

His  wrath  melted  away  like  snow  before  the  sun 
shine.  How  could  he  resist  such  an  appeal?  "I 


THE  INVITATION  EXTENDED         61 

beg  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,"  whirled  in  his 
brain.  What  did  she  mean  by  that? 

"  I  absolve  the  penitent,"  he  said,  gravely. 

"  I  thank  you.  You  are  still  my  ideal  American — 
courteous,  bold  and  gentle.  I  do  not  wonder  that 
Americans  can  be  masterful  men.  And  now  I  thank 
you  for  your  invitation,  and  ask  you  to  let  me  with 
draw  my  implied  refusal.  If  }rou  will  take  me  for 
the  drive,  I  shall  be  delighted  and  more  than  grate 
ful." 

"  You  make  me  happy  again,"  he  said,  softly,  as 
they  drew  near  the  elder  members  of  the  party,  who 
had  paused  to  wait  for  them.  "  I  shall  ask  your 
uncle  and  aunt  to  accompany  us." 

"  Uncle  Caspar  will  be  busy  all  day,  but  I  am  sure 
my  aunt  will  be  charmed.  Aunt  Yvonne,  Mr.  Lorry 
has  asked  us  to  drive  with  him  over  the  city,  and 
I  have  accepted  for  you.  When  are  we  to  start,  Mr. 
Lorry?" 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guggcnslocker  stared  in  a  bewil 
dered  sort  of  manner  at  their  niece.  Then  Aunt 
Yvonne  turned  questioning  eyes  toward  her  hus 
band,  who  promptly  bowed  low  before  the  tall  Ameri 
can,  and  said: 

"  Your  kind  offices  shall  never  be  forgotten,  sir. 
When  are  the  ladies  to  be  ready?  " 

Lorry  was  weighing  in  his  mind  the  advisability 
of  asking  them  to  dine  in  the  evening  with  his  mother, 
but  two  objections  presented  themselves  readily. 
First,  he  was  afraid  of  this  perverse  maid;  second, 


62  GRAUSTARK 

he  had  not  seen  his  mother.  In  fact,  he  did  not 
know  that  she  was  in  town. 

"  At  two  o'clock,  I  fancy.  That  will  give  us  the 
afternoon.  You  leave  at  nine  to-night,  do  you 
not?" 

"  Yes.  And  will  you  dine  with  us  this  evening?  " 
Her  invitation  was  so  unexpected,  in  view  of  all 
that  had  happened,  that  he  looked  askance.  "  Ach, 
you  must  not  treat  my  invitation  as  I  did  yours !  " 
she  cried,  merrily,  although  he  could  detect  the 
blush  that  returns  with  the  recollection  of  a  repri 
mand.  "  You  should  profit  by  what  I  have  been 
taught."  The  girl  abruptly  threw  her  arm  about 
her  aunt  and  cried,  as  she  drew  away  in  the  direc 
tion  of  her  room :  "  At  two,  then,  and  at  dinner  this 
evening.  I  bid  you  good  morning,  Mr.  Lorry." 

The  young  man,  delighted  with  the  turn  of  af 
fairs,  but  dismayed  by  what  seemed  a  summary  dis 
missal,  bowed  low.  He  waited  until  the  strange  trio 
entered  the  elevator  and  then  sauntered  downstairs, 
his  hands  in  his  pockets,  his  heart  as  light  as  air. 
Unconsciously  he  jingled  the  coins.  A  broad  smile 
came  over  his  face  as  he  drew  forth  a  certain  piece. 
Holding  it  between  his  thumb  and  forefinger,  he 
said : 

"  You  are  what  it  cost  her  to  learn  my  name,  are 
you?  Well,  my  good  fellow,  you  may  be  very  small, 
but  you  bought  something  that  looks  better  than 
Guggenslocker  on  a  hotel  register.  Your  mistress 
is  an  odd  bit  of  humanity,  a  most  whimsical  bit,  I 
must  say.  First,  she's  no  and  then  she's  yes.  You're 


THE  INVITATION  EXTENDED         63 

lucky,  my  coin,  to  have  fallen  into  the  custody  of 
one  who  will  not  give  you  over  to  the  mercy  of 
strangers  for  the  sake  of  a  whim.  You  are  now 
retired  on  a  pension,  well  deserved  after  valiant  ser 
vice  in  the  cause  of  a  most  capricious  queen." 

In  an  hour  he  was  at  home  and  relating  to  his 
mother  the  story  of  his  wanderings,  neglecting,  for 
reasons  best  known  to  himself,  the  events  which  oc 
curred  after  Denver  had  been  left  behind,  except 
for  casual  allusion  to  "  a  party  of  foreigners."  At 
one  o'clock,  faultlessly  attired,  he  descended  to  the 
brougham,  telling  Mrs.  Lorry  that  he  had  invited 
some  strangers  to  see  the  city.  On  the  way  down 
town  he  remembered  that  he  was  in  business — the 
law  business — and  that  it  would  be  well  to  drop  in 
and  let  his  uncle  know  he  was  in  the  city.  On  sec 
ond  thought,  however,  he  concluded  it  was  too  near 
two  o'clock  to  waste  any  time  on  business,  so  the 
office  did  not  know  that  he  was  in  town  until  the 
next  day,  and  then  to  no  great  extent. 

For  several  hours  he  reveled  in  her  society,  sit 
ting  beside  her  in  the  roomy  brougham,  Aunt  Yvonne 
opposite,  explaining  to  her  the  many  places  of  in 
terest  as  they  passed.  They  entered  the  Capitol ; 
they  saw  the  White  House,  and,  as  they  were  driv 
ing  back  to  the  hotel,  passed  the  President  of  the 
United  States. 

Miss  Guggenslockcr,  when  informed  that  the 
President's  carriage  was  approaching,  relaxed  grace 
fully  from  the  stately  reserve  that  had  been  puzzling 
him,  and  revealed  an  eager  curiosity.  Her  eyes 


64  GRAUSTARK 

fastened  themselves  upon  the  President,  Lorry  find 
ing  entertainment  in  the  changes  that  came  over  her 
unconscious  face.  Instead  of  noting  the  veneration 
he  had  expected,  lie  was  astonished  and  somewhat 
provoked  to  see  a  slight  curl  of  disgust  at  the  cor 
ners  of  her  mouth,  a  pronounced  disappointment  in 
her  eyes.  Her  face  expressed  ridicule,  pure  and 
simple,  and,  he  was  shocked  to  observe,  the  exposure 
was  unconscious,  therefore  sincere. 

"  You  do  not  like  our  ruler?  "  he  said,  as  the  car 
riage  whirled  by.  He  was  returning  his  hat  to  his 
head  as  he  spoke. 

"  I  cannot  say.  I  do  not  know  him,"  she  replied, 
a  tinge  of  sarcasm  in  her  voice.  "  You  Americans 
have  one  consolation;  when  you  tire  of  a  ruler  you 
can  put  another  in  his  place.  Is  it  not  wise  to  do  so 
quite  often?  " 

"  I  don't  think  wise  is  th^  word.  Expedient  is  bet 
ter.  I  am  to  infer  that  you  have  no  politics." 

"  One  house  has  ruled  our  land  for  centuries. 
Since  I  came  to  your  land  I  have  not  once  seen  a 
man  wave  his  hat  with  mad  adulation  and  cry  from 
his  heart:  *  Long  live  the  President!'  For  cen 
turies,  in  my  country,  every  child  has  been  born  with 
the  words :  *  Long  live  the  Prince ! '  in  his  heart,  and 
he  learns  to  say  them  next  after  the  dear  parental 
words  are  mastered.  *  Long  live  the  Prince ! '  '  Long 
live  the  Princess ! '  are  tributes  of  love  and  honor 
that  greet  our  rulers  from  birth  to  death.  We  are 
not  fickle,  and  we  have  no  politics." 

"  Do  your  rulers  hear  tin  horns,  brass  bands,  cam- 


THE  INVITATION  EXTENDED         65 

paign  yells,  firecrakers  and  stump  speeches  every 
four  years?  Do  they  know  what  it  means  to  be 
the  voluntary  choice  of  a  whole  nation?  Do  they 
know  what  it  is  to  rule  because  they  have  won  the 
right  and  not  because  they  were  born  to  it?  Has 
there  ever  been  a  homage-surfeited  ruler  in  your 
land  who  has  known  the  joy  that  comes  with  the 
knowledge  that  he  has  earned  the  right  to  be  cheered 
from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other?  Is  there 
not  a  difference  between  your  hereditary  '  Long  live 
the  Prince  '  and  our  wild,  enthusiastic,  spontaneous 
*  Hurrah  for  Cleveland!'  Miss  Guggenslocker?  All 
men  are  equal  at  the  beginning  in  our  land.  The 
man  who  wins  the  highest  gift  that  can  be  bestowed 
by  seventy  millions  of  people  is  the  man  who  had 
brains  and  not  title  as  a  birthright."  He  was  a 
bit  exasperated. 

"  There !  I  have  displeased  you  again.  You  must 
pardon  my  antiquated  ideas.  We,  as  true  and  loyal 
subjects  of  a  good  sovereign,  cannot  forget  that  our 
rulers  are  born,  not  made.  Perhaps  we  are  afflicted 
at  times  with  brainless  monarchs  and  are  to  be  pitied. 
You  are  generous  in  your  selection  of  potentates, 
be  generous,  then,  with  me,  a  benighted  royalist, 
who  craves  leniency  of  one  who  may  some  day  be 
President  of  the  United  States." 

"  Granted,  without  Discussion.  As  possible, 
though  not  probable,  President  of  the  United  States. 
I  am  magnanimous  to  an  unfortunate  who  can  never 
hope  to  be  princess,  no  matter  how  well  she  might 
grace  the  gilded  throne." 


€6  GRAUSTARK 

She  greeted  his  glowing  remark  with  a  smile  so 
intoxicating  that  he  felt  himself  the  most  favored  of 
men.  He  saw  that  smile  in  his  mind's  eye  for  months 
afterward,  that  maddening  sparkle  of  joy,  which 
flashed  from  her  eyes  to  the  very  bottom  of  his 
heart,  there  to  snuggle  forever  with  Memory's  most 
priceless  treasures. 

Their  dinner  was  but  one  more  phase  of  this  fas 
cinating  dream.  More  than  once  he  feared  that  he 
was  about  to  awake  to  find  bleak  unhappincss  where 
exquisite  joy  had  reigned  so  gloriously.  As  it  drew 
to  an  end  a  sense  of  depression  came  over  him.  An 
hour  at  most  was  all  that  he  could  have  with  her. 
Nine  o'clock  was  drawing  nigh  with  its  regrets,  its 
longings,  its  desolation.  He  determined  to  retain 
the  pleasures  of  the  present  until,  amid  the  clanging 
of  bells  and  the  roll  of  car  wheels,  the  dismal  future 
began.  His  intention  to  accompany  them  to  the  sta 
tion  was  expressed  as  they  were  leaving  the  table. 
She  had  begun  to  say  good-bye  to  him  when  he  in 
terrupted,  self-consciousness  forcing  the  words  hur 
riedly  and  disjointedly  from  his  lips: 

"  You  will  let  me  go  to  the  station  with  you.  I 
shall — er — deem  it  a  pleasure." 

She  raised  her  eyebrows  slight!}',  but  thanked  him 
and  said  she  would  consider  it  an  honor.  His  face 
grew  hot  and  his  heart  cold  with  the  fancy  that 
there  was  in  her  eyes  a  gleam  which  said :  "  I  pity 
you,  poor  fellow." 

Notwithstanding  his  strange  misgiving  and  the 
fact  that  his  pride  had  sustained  quite  a  perceptible 


THE  INVITATION  EXTENDED         67 

shock,  he  drove  with  them  to  the  station.  They 
went  to  the  sleeping  car  a  few  minutes  before  the 
time  set  for  the  tram's  departure,  and  stood  at  the 
bottom  of  the  steps,  uttering  the  good-byes,  the 
God  speeds  and  the  sincere  hope  that  they  might 
meet  again.  Then  came  the  sharp  activity  of  the 
trainmen,  the  hurry  of  belated  passengers.  He 
glanced  soberly  at  his  watch. 

"  It  is  nine  o'clock.  Perhaps  you  would  better  get 
aboard,"  he  said,  and  proceeded  to  assist  Aunt 
Yvonne  up  the  steps.  She  turned  and  pressed  his 
hand  gently  before  passing  into  the  car. 

"  Adieu,  good  friend.  You  have  made  it  so  very 
pleasant  for  us,"  she  said,  earnestly. 

The  tall,  soldierly  old  gentleman  was  waiting  to 
assist  his  niece  into  the  coach. 

"  Go  first,  Uncle  Caspar,"  the  girl  made  Lorry 
happy  by  saying.  "  I  can  easily  come  up  unaided." 

"  Or  I  can  assist  her,"  Lorry  hastened  to  add,  giv 
ing  her  a  grateful  look  which  she  could  not  mis 
understand.  The  uncle  shook  hands  warmly  with 
the  young  man  and  passed  up  the  steps.  She  was 
following  when  Lorry  cried: 

"  Will  you  not  allow  me?  " 

She  laughingly  turned  to  him  from  the  steps  and 
stretched  forth  her  hand. 

"  And  now  it  is  good-bye  forever.  I  am  so  sorry 
that  I  have  not  seen  more  of  you,"  she  said.  He 
took  her  hand  and  held  it  tightly  for  a  moment. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  past  few  days,"  he  said, 
a  thrill  in  his  voice.  "  You  have  put  something  into 


68  GRAUSTARK 

my  life  that  can  never  be  taken  away.  You  will  for 
get  me  before  you  are  out  of  Washington,  but  I — I 
shall  always  see  you  as  you  are  now." 

She  drew  her  hand  away  gently,  but  did  not  take 
her  eyes  from  his  upturned  face. 

"  You  are  mistaken.  Why  should  I  forget  you — 
ever?  Are  you  not  the  ideal  American  whose  name 
I  bought?  I  shall  always  remember  you  as  I  saw 
you — at  Denver. 

"  Not  as  I  have  been  since?  "  he  cried. 

"  Have  you  changed  since  first  I  saw  you?  "  she 
asked,  quaintly. 

"  I  have,  indeed,  for  you  saw  me  before  I  saw 
you.  I  am  glad  I  have  not  changed  for  the  worse  in 
your  eyes." 

"  As  I  first  knew  you  with  my  eyes  I  will  say 
that  they  are  trustworthy,"  she  said,  tantaliz- 

ing'j- 

"  I  do  not  mean  that  I  have  changed  externally." 
"  In  any  other  case  my  eyes  would  not  serve,"  she 
cried,  with  mock  disappointment.    "  Still,"  she  added, 
sweepingly,  "  you   are  my  ideal   American.      Good 
bye  !    The  man  has  called  *  All  aboard  ! ' 

"  Good-bye !  "  he  cried,  swinging  up  on  the  nar 
row  step  beside  her.  Again  he  clasped  her  hand,  as 
she  drew  back  in  surprise.  "  You  are  going  out  of 
my  land,  but  not  out  of  my  mind.  If  you  wish  your 
eyes  to  see  the  change  in  me,  you  have  only  to  look  at 
them  in  a  mirror.  The?/  are  the  change — they  them 
selves!  Good-bye!  I  hope  that  I  may  see  you 
ajrain." 


THE  INVITATION  EXTENDED         69 

She  hesitated  an  instant,  her  eyes  wavering  be 
neath  his.  The  train  was  moving  slowly  now. 

"  I  pray  that  we  may  meet,"  she  said,  softly,  at 
last, — so  softly  that  he  barely  heard  the  words.  Had 
she  uttered  no  sound  he  could  have  been  sure  of  her 
response,  for  it  was  in  her  telltale  eyes.  His  blood 
leaped  madly.  "  You  will  be  hurt  if  you  wait  till 
the  train  is  running  at  full  speed,"  she  cried,  sud 
denly  returning  to  the  abandoned  merry  mood.  She 
pushed  him  gently  in  her  excitement.  "  Don't  you 
see  how  rapidly  we  are  moving?  Please  go !  "  There 
was  a  terror  in  her  eyes  that  pleased  him. 

"  Good-bye,  then,"  he  cried. 

"  Adieu,  my  American,"  she  cried,  quickly. 

As  he  swung  out,  ready  to  drop  to  the  ground,  she 
said,  her  eyes  sparkling  with  something  that  sug 
gested  mischief,  her  face  more  bewitching  than  ever 
under  the  flicker  of  the  great  arc  lights: 

"  You  must  come  to  Edelweiss  to  see  me.  I  shall 
expect  you !  "  He  thought  there  was  a  challenge  in 
the  tones.  Or  was  it  mockery? 

"  I  will,  by  heaven,  I  will !  "  he  exclaimed. 

A  startled  expression  flashed  across  her  face,  and 
her  lips  parted  as  if  in  protestation.  As  she  leaned 
forward,  holding  stoutly  to  the  hand-rail,  there  was 
no  smile  on  her  countenance. 

A  white  hand  fluttered  before  his  eyes,  and  she 
was  gone.  He  stood,  hat  in  hand,  watching  the 
two  red  lights  at  the  end  of  the  train  until  they 
were  lost  in  the  night. 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE 

If  Lorry  slept  that  night  he  was  not  aware  of  it. 
The  next  morning,  after  he  had  breakfasted  with 
his  mother,  he  tried  in  vain  to  recall  a  minute  of  the 
time  between  midnight  and  eight  a.  m.  in  which  he 
did  not  think  of  the  young  woman  who  had  flown 
away  with  his  tranquility.  All  night  long  he  tossed 
and  thought.  He  counted  ten  thousand  black  sheep 
jumping  over  a  pasture  fence,  but,  after  the  task 
was  done  and  the  sheep  had  scattered,  he  was  as 
far  from  sleep  as  ever.  Her  face  was  everywhere. 
Her  voice  filled  his  ear  with  music  never-ceasing, 
but  it  was  not  the  lulling  music  that  invites  drowsi 
ness.  He  heard  the  clock  strike  the  hours  from  one 
to  eight,  when  he  arose,  thoroughly  disgusted  with 
himself.  Everything  seemed  to  taste  bitter  or  to 
look  blue.  That  breakfast  was  a  great  strain  on 
his  natural  politeness.  He  worshipped  his  mother, 
but  in  several  instances  that  morning  he  caught  him 
self  just  in  time  to  prevent  the  utterance  of  some 
sharp  rejoinder  to  her  pleasant,  motherly  queries. 
Twice  she  was  compelled  to  repeat  questions,  his 
mind  being  so  far  away  that  he  heard  nothing  save 

70 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  71 

words  that  another  woman  had  uttered,  say  twenty- 
four  hours  before.  His  eyes  were  red,  and  there 
was  a  heavy  droop  to  the  lids ;  his  tones  were  drawl 
ing  and  his  voice  strangely  without  warmth;  his 
face  was  white  and  tired. 

"  You  are  not  well,  Grenfall,"  his  mother  said, 
peering  anxiously  into  his  eyes.  "  The  trip  has 
done  you  up.  Now,  you  must  take  a  good,  long 
rest  and  recover  from  your  vacation." 

He  smiled  grimly. 

"A  man  never  needs  a  rest  so  much  as  he  does  at 
the  end  of  his  vacation,  eh,  mother?  Well,  work 
will  be  restful.  I  shall  go  to  the  office  this  morning 
and  do  three  days'  work  before  night.  That  will 
prove  to  you  that  I  am  perfectly  well." 

He  made  a  pretense  of  reading  the  morning  paper. 
There  was  nothing  to  interest  him  on  those  cold, 
commonplace  pages,  not  one  thing — but  wait!  A 
thought  struck  him  suddenly,  and  for  ten  minutes 
he  searched  the  columns  assiduously,  even  nervously. 
Then  he  threw  down  the  paper  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

There  was  nothing  to  indicate  that  her  train  had 
been  wrecked.  She  had  undoubtedly  reached  New 
York  in  safety.  He  looked  at  his  watch.  She  was 
probably  enjoying  her  breakfast  at  that  very  mo 
ment.  Perhaps  she  was  thinking  of  him  and — per 
haps  not.  The  memory  of  the  last  tender  hand  clasp 
and  the  soft  glow  in  her  eyes  stood  like  a  wall  be 
tween  the  fear  that  she  had  forgotten  and  the  cer 
tainty  that  she  remembered.  Had  not  this  memory 
kept  him  awake?  That  and  the  final,  mysterious 


72  GRAUSTARK 

emotion  which  had  shown  itself  in  her  face  as  he 
had  last  looked  upon  it?  A  thousand  times  had  he 
pondered  over  the  startled  look  and  the  signs  of 
agitation.  Was  it  fear?  Was  it  dismay?  \Vas  it 
renunciation?  Whatever  it  was,  it  sorely  disturbed 
him  ;  it  had  partly  undone  the  charm  of  the  moment 
before — the  charm  that  could  not  and  would  not 
be  gainsaid. 

True  to  his  intention,  he  went  to  the  office  earl}', 
virtuously  inclined  to  work.  His  uncle  greeted  him 
warmly  and  a  long  conference  over  business  affairs 
followed.  To  Lorry's  annoyance  and  discomfiture,  he 
found  himself  frequently  inattentive.  Several  im 
portant  cases  were  pending,  and  in  a  day  or  two 
they  were  to  go  into  court  with  a  damage  suit  of 
more  than  ordinary  consequence.  Lorry,  senior, 
could  not  repress  his  gratification  over  the  return 
of  his  clever,  active  nephew  at  such  an  opportune 
time.  He  had  felt  himself  unable  to  handle  the 
case  alone;  the  endurance  of  a  young  and  vigorous 
mind  was  required  for  the  coming  battle  in  chan 
cery. 

They  lunched  together,  the  elder  eager  and  con 
fidential,  the  other  respectful  and — absent-minded. 
In  the  afternoon  the  junion  went  over  the  case,  and 
renewed  search  for  authorities  and  opinions,  fully 
determined  to  be  constant  in  spite  of  his  inclination 
to  be  fickle.  Late  in  the  day  he  petulantly  threw 
aside  the  books,  curtly  informed  his  astonished  uncle 
that  he  was  not  feeling  well,  and  left  the  office. 
Until  dinner  time  he  played  billiards  atrociously  at 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  73 

his  club ;  at  dinner  his  mother  sharply  reproved  him 
for  flagrant  inattentions ;  after  dinner  he  smoked 
and  wondered  despondently.  To-morrow  she  was  to 
sail !  If  he  could  but  see  her  once  more ! 

At  7 : 30  his  mother  found  him  in  the  library, 
searching  diligently  through  the  volume  of  the  en 
cyclopedia  that  contained  the  G's.  When  she  asked 
what  he  was  looking  for  he  laughed  idiotically,  and, 
in  confusion,  informed  her  that  he  was  trying  to 
find  the  name  of  the  most  important  city  in  Indiana. 
She  was  glancing  at  the  books  in  the  case  when  she 
was  startled  by  hearing  him  utter  an  exclamation 
and  then  leap  to  his  feet. 

"  Half-past  seven !    I  can  make  it !  " 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Grcn,  dear?  " 

"Oh!  "  he  ejaculated,  bringing  himself  up  with  a 
start.  "  I  forgot — er — yes,  mother,  I'll  just  have 
time  to  catch  the  train,  you  know.  Will  you  kindly 
have  Mary  clean  up  this  muss  of  books  and  so 
forth?  I'm  off,  you  see,  to  New  York — for  a  day 
only,  mother, — back  to-morrow!  Important  busi 
ness — just  remembered  it,  you  know, — ahem!  Good 
bye,  mother !  Good-bye !  "  He  had  kissed  her  and 
was  in  the  hall  before  she  fairly  understood  what  he 
was  talking  about.  Then  she  ran  after  him,  gaining 
the  hallway  in  time  to  see  him  pass  through  the  street 
door,  his  hat  on  the  side  of  his  head,  his  overcoat 
fluttering  furiously  as  he  shoved  his  arms  into  the 
sleeves.  The  door  slammed,  and  he  was  off  to  New 
York. 

The  train  was  ready  to  pull  out  when  he  reached 


74  GRAUSTARK 

the  station,  and  it  was  only  by  a  hard  run  that  he 
caught  the  last  platform,  panting  but  happy.  Just 
twenty-four  hours  before  she  had  left  Washington, 
and  it  was  right  here  that  she  had  smiled  and  said 
she  would  expect  him  to  come  to  Edelweiss.  He  had 
had  no  time  to  secure  a  berth  in  the  sleeper,  but  was 
fortunately  able  to  get  one  after  taking  the  train. 
Grenfall  went  to  sleep,  both  disappointed  and  dis 
gusted.  Disappointed  because  of  his  submission 
to  sentiment;  disgusted  because  of  the  man  who  oc 
cupied  the  next  section.  A  man  who  is  in  love  and 
in  doubt  has  not  patience  with  the  prosaic  wretch 
who  can  sleep  so  audibly. 

After  a  hasty  breakfast  in  New  York  he  tele 
phoned  to  the  steamship  company's  pier  and  asked 
the  time  of  sailing  for  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm.  On  be 
ing  informed  that  the  ship  was  to  cast  off  at  her 
usual  hour,  he  straightway  called  a  cab  and  was 
soon  bowling  along  toward  the  busy  waterway.  Di 
rectly  he  sat  bolt  upright,  rigid  and  startled  to  find 
himself  more  awakened  to  the  realization  of  his 
absurd  action.  Again  it  entered  his  infatuated  head 
that  he  was  performing  the  veriest  schoolboy  trick 
in  rushing  to  a  steamship  pier  in  the  hope  of  catch 
ing  a  final,  and  at  best,  unsatisfactory  glimpse  of  a 
young  woman  who  had  appealed  to  his  sensitive  ad 
miration.  A  love-sick  boy  could  be  excused  for  such 
a  display  of  imbecility,  but  a  man — a  man  of  the 
world !  Never ! 

"  The  idea  of  chasing  down  to  the  water's  edge  to 
see  that  girl  is  enough  to  make  you  ashamed  of 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  75 

yourself  for  life,  Grenfall  Lorry,"  he  apostrophized. 
"  It's  worse  than  any  love-sick  fool  ever  dreamed  of 
doing.  I  am  blushing,  I'll  be  bound.  The  idiocy,  the 
rank  idiocy  of  the  thing!  And  suppose  she  should 
see  me  staring  at  her  out  there  on  the  pier?  What 
would  she  think  of  me?  I'll  not  go  another  foot!  I 
won't  be  a  fool !  " 

He  was  excited  and  self-conscious  and  thoroughly 
ashamed  of  the  trip  into  which  his  impetuous  adora 
tion  had  driven  him.  Just  as  he  was  tugging  at  the 
door  in  the  effort  to  open  it  that  he  might  order  the 
driver  to  take  him  back  to  the  hotel,  a  sly  tempter 
whispered  something  in  his  ear ;  his  fancy  was  caught, 
and  he  listened: 

"  Why  not  go  down  to  the  pier  and  look  over  the 
passenger  list,  just  to  see  if  she  has  been  booked 
safely?  That  would  be  perfectly  proper  and  sensi 
ble,  and  besides  it  will  be  a  satisfaction  to  know 
that  she  gets  off  all  right.  Certainly !  There's  noth 
ing  foolish  in  that.  .  .  .  Especially  as  I  am 
right  on  the  way  there.  .  .  .  And  as  I  have  come 
so  far  .  .  .  there's  no  sense  in  going  back  with 
out  seeing  whether  she  has  secured  passage. 
I  can  find  out  in  a  minute  and  then  go  home. 
There  won't  be  anything  wrong  in  that.  And  then 
I  may  have  a  glimpse  of  her  before  the  ship  leaves 
the  pier.  She  must  not  see  me,  of  course.  Never! 
She'd  laugh  at  me!  How  I'd  hate  to  see  her  laugh 
ing  at  me !  "  Then,  sinking  back  again  with  a  smile 
of  justification  on  his  face,  he  muttered :  "  We  won't 
turn  back;  we'll  go  right  ahead.  We'll  be  a  kind 


76  GRAUSTARK 

of  a  fool,  but  not  so  foolish  as  to  allow  her  to  see 
us  and  recognize  us  as  one." 

Before  long  they  arrived  at  the  wharf,  and  he 
hurried  to  the  office  near  by.  The  clerk  permitted 
him  to  look  over  the  list.  First  he  ran  through  the 
first-class  passengers,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that 
there  was  no  such  name  as  Guggenslocker  in  the  list. 
Then  he  went  over  the  second-class,  but  still  no  Gug 
genslocker. 

"Hasn't  Mr.  Guggenslocker  taken  passage?"  he 
demanded,  unwilling  to  believe  his  eyes. 
"  Not  on  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm,  sir." 
"  Then,  by  George,  they'll  miss  the  boat !  "  Lorry 
exclaimed.    "  Maybe  they'll  be  here  in  a  few  minutes." 
"  They  can't  get  anything  but  steerage  now,  sir. 
Everything  else  is  gone." 

"  Are  you  sure  they  haven't  taken  passage?  "  asked 
the  bewildered  Lorry,  weakly. 

"  You  can  see  for  yourself,"  answered  the  young 
man,  curtly. 

Lorry  was  again  in  a  perspiration,  this  time  the 
result  of  a  vague,  growing  suspicion  that  had  forced 
itself  into  his  mind.  He  wandered  aimlessly  away, 
his  brain  a  chaos  of  speculation.  The  suspicion  to 
which  he  had  given  countenance  grew,  and  as  it  en 
larged  he  suffered  torment  untold.  Gradually  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  she  had  fooled  him,  had 
lied  to  him.  She  did  not  intend  to  sail  on  the  Wil 
helm,  at  all.  It  was  all  very  clear  to  him  now,  that 
strangeness  in  her  manner,  those  odd  occasional 
smiles.  What  was  she?  An  adventuress!  That 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  77 

sweet-faced  girl  a  little  ordinary  coquette,  a  liar? 
He  turned  cold  with  the  thought.  Nor  was  she  alone 
in  her  duplicity.  Had  not  her  uncle  and  aunt  been 
as  ready  to  deceive  him?  Were  they  trying  to 
throw  him  off  their  track  for  some  subtle  purpose? 
Had  they  done  something  for  which  they  were  com 
pelled  to  fly  the  country  as  quickly  as  possible?  No ! 
Not  that !  They  certainly  were  rot  fleeing  from  jus 
tice.  But  why  were  they  not  on  board  the  Kaiser 
Wilhelm? 

Suddenly  he  started  as  if  he  had  been  struck,  and 
an  involuntary  exclamation  of  pain  and  horror  es 
caped  his  lips.  Perhaps  something  unforeseen  had 
happened — an  accident — illness — even  death ! 

The  clanging  of  bells  broke  upon  his  ears  and  he 
knew  that  the  great  ship  was  about  to  depart.  Me- 
chancially,  disconsolately,  he  walked  out  and  paced 
the  broad,  crowded  wharf.  All  was  excitement. 
There  was  the  rush  of  people,  the  shouts,  the  cheers, 
the  puffing  of  tugs,  the  churning  of  water,  and  the 
Kaiser  Wilhelm  was  off  on  its  long  voyage.  Half 
heartedly,  miserably,  and  in  a  dazed  condition,  he 
found  a  place  in  the  front  row  along  the  rail.  There 
were  tears  in  his  eyes,  tears  of  anger,  shame  and 
mortification.  She  had  played  with  him ! 

Moodily  he  watched  the  crowd  of  voyagers  hang 
ing  over  the  rails  of  the  moving  leviathan  of  the 
deep.  A  faint  smile  of  irony  came  to  his  lips.  This 
was  the  boat  on  which  his  heart  was  to  have  been 
freighted  from  native  shores.  The  craft  was  sail 
ing,  but  it  was  not  carrying  the  cargo  that  he  had, 


78  GRAUSTARK 

in  very  good  faith,  consigned  to  Graustark.  His 
heart  was  certainly  not  on  board  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm 
der  Grosse. 

Gloomily  his  disappointed  eyes  swept  along  the  rail 
of  the  big  steamer,  half  interested  in  spite  of  them 
selves.  Twice  they  passed  a  certain  point  on  the 
forward  deck,  unconscious  of  a  force  that  was  at 
tracting  them  in  that  direction.  The  third  time 
he  allowed  them  to  settle  for  an  instant  on  the  group 
of  faces  and  figures  and  then  stray  off  to  other  parts 
of  the  ship.  Some  strange  power  drew  them  again 
to  the  forward  deck,  and  this  time  he  was  startled 
into  an  intent  stare.  Could  he  believe  those  eyes? 
Surely  that  was  her  figure  at  the  rail — there  between 
the  two  young  women  who  were  waving  their  hand 
kerchiefs  so  frantically.  His  heart  began  to  jump 
up  and  down,  wildly,  doubting,  impatiently.  Why 
could  not  that  face  be  turned  toward  the  wharf  as 
the  others  were?  There  was  the  blue  coat  but  not 
the  blue  cap.  A  jaunty  sailor  hat  sat  where  the 
never-to-be-forgotten  cap  had  perched.  The  change 
was  slight,  but  it  was  sufficient  to  throw  him  into 
the  most  feverish  state  of  uncertainty.  An  insane 
desire  to  shout  a  command  to  this  strange  young 
woman  came  over  him. 

The  ship  was  slowly  opening  a  gap  between  her 
self  and  the  wharf,  and  he  knew  that  in  a  few 
moments  recognition  would  be  impossible.  Just  as 
he  was  losing  hope  and  was  ready  to  groan  with 
despair,  the  face  beneath  the  sailor  hat  was  turned 
squarely  in  his  direction.  A  glaze  obscured  his 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  79 

eyes,  a  numbness  attacked  his  brain.  It  was  Miss 
Guggenslocker ! 

Why  was  her  name  omitted  from  the  passenger 
list?  That  question  was  the  first  to  whirl  through 
his  addled  brain.  He  forgot  the  questionings,  for 
got  everything  a  moment  later,  for,  to  his  amaze 
ment  and  delight  and  discomfiture,  he  saw  that  she 
was  peering  intently  at  him.  A  pair  of  big  glasses 
was  leveled  at  him  for  a  second  and  then  lowered. 
He  plainly  saw  the  smile  on  her  face,  and  the  flutter 
ing  cambric  in  her  hand.  She  had  seen  him,  after 
all, — had  caught  him  in  a  silly  exhibition  of  weak 
ness.  Her  last  impression  of  him,  then,  was  to  be 
one  of  which  he  could  not  feel  proud.  While  his 
heart  burned  with  shame,  it  could  not  have  been 
suspected  from  the  appearance  of  his  face.  His 
eyes  were  dancing,  his  mouth  was  wide  open  with 
joy,  his  lips  were  quivering  with  a  suppressed  shout, 
his  cheeks  were  flushed  and  his  whole  aspect  bespoke 
ecstacy.  He  waved  his  hat  and  then  his  handker 
chief,  obtaining  from  her  vigorous  and  unrestrained 
signs  of  approbation.  Her  face  was  wreathed  in 
smiles  as  she  leaned  far  over  the  rail,  the  picture  of 
animated  pleasure. 

Making  sure  that  her  uncle  and  aunt  were  not 
visible,  he  boldly  placed  his  fingers  to  his  lips  and 
wafted  a  kiss  out  over  the  water ! 

"  Now  she'll  crush  me,"  he  cried  to  himself,  re 
gretting  the  rash  act  and  praying  that  she  had  not 
observed  it. 

Her  handkerchief  ceased  fluttering  in  an  instant, 


80  GRAUSTARK 

and,  with  sinking  heart,  he  realized  that  she  had  ob 
served.  There  was  a  moment  of  indecision  on  the 
part  of  the  fair  one  going  out  to  sea,  and  then  the 
little  finger  tips  of  both  hands  went  to  her  lips  and 
his  kiss  came  back  to  him ! 

The  people  near  him  were  surprised  to  hear  a  wild 
yell  from  his  lips  and  then  to  see  him  wave  his  hat 
so  madly  that  there  was  some  danger  of  it  being 
knocked  to  pieces  against  the  railing  or  upon  the 
persons  of  those  who  stood  too  close  to  escape  the 
whirling  consequences.  So  unexpected  had  been 
her  reception  of  what  he  considered  a  calamitous 
indiscretion  that  he  was  to  be  pardoned  for  the  ebul 
lition  of  relief  and  joy  that  followed.  Had  she 
drawn  a  revolver  and  fired  angrily  at  him  he  could 
not  have  been  more  astounded.  But  to  actually 
throw  a  kiss  to  him — to  meet  his  imprudence  in  the 
same  spirit  that  had  inspired  it !  Too  much  to  be 
lieve  !  In  the  midst  of  his  elation,  however,  there 
came  a  reminder  that  she  did  not  expect  to  see  him 
again,  that  she  was  playing  with  him,  that  it  was  a 
merry  jest  and  not  a  heartache  that  filled  her  bosom 
at  the  parting. 

While  he  was  still  waving  his  handkerchief,  de 
bating  savagely  and  joyously  the  wisdom  of  the  act, 
she  became  a  part  of  the  distant  color  scheme;  the 
blue  figure  faded  and  blended  into  the  gen:ral  tone 
and  could  no  longer  be  distinguished.  She  was 
gono,  but  she  had  tossed  him  a  kiss  from  lips  that 
he  should  always  see.  As  he  turned  away  from 
the  water,  he  found  himself  wondering  if  there  had 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  81 

been  tears  in  her  eyes,  but  the  probability  was  so 
remote  that  he  laughed  foolishly  and  aloud.  A 
couple  of  girls  heard  the  laugh  and  giggled  in  sym 
pathy,  but  he  turned  a  scowling  face  upon  them  and 
disappeared  in  the  throng. 

Uppermost  in  his  bewildered  mind  was  the  ques 
tion:  Why  is  she  not  in  the  passenger  list?  Act 
ing  on  a  sudden  impulse,  he  again  sought  out  the 
clerk  in  charge  and  made  a  most  thorough  inspec 
tion.  There  was  no  Guggenslocker  among  the 
names.  As  a  last  resort,  he  asked: 

"  They  could  not  have  sailed  under  an  assumed 
name,  could  they?  " 

"  I  can't  say  as  to  that.  Where  are  they 
going?  " 

"  Graustark." 

But  the  young  man  shook  his  head  slowly, 
Lorry's  shaking  in  unconscious  accord. 

"  Are  you  sure  that  you  saw  the  young  lady  on 
board?" 

"  Well,  rather !  "  exclaimed  Lorry,  emphatically. 

"  I  was  going  to  say  there  are  a  lot  of  Italian  and 
German  singers  on  the  ship,  and  you  might  have 
been  mistaken.  But  since  you  are  so  positive,  it 
seems  very  strange  that  your  friends  are  not  on  the 
list." 

So  Lorry  went  away  discouraged  and  with  a 
vague  fear  that  she  might  have  been  a  prima  donna 
whose  real  name  was  Guggenslocker  but  whose 
stage  name  was  something  more  euphonious.  He 


82  GRAUSTARK 

instantly  put  away  the  thought  and  the  fear.  She 
was  certainly  not  an  opera  singer — impossible!  He 
drove  back  to  his  hotel,  and  made  preparations  for 
his  return  to  Washington.  Glancing  casually  over 
the  register,  he  came  to  the  name  that  had  been 
haunting  him — Guggenslocker.  There  were  the 
names,  "  Caspar  Guggenslocker  and  four,  Grau- 
stark.  Without  hesitation,  he  began  to  question  the 
clerk. 

"  They  sailed  on  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  to-day,"  said 
that  worthy.  "  That's  all  I  know  about  them.  They 
came  yesterday  and  left  to-day." 

Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry  returned  to  Washington  as 
in  a  dream — a  fairy  dream.  The  air  of  mystery 
that  had  grown  from  the  first  was  now  an  impene 
trable  wall,  the  top  of  which  his  curiosity  could  not 
scale.  Even  his  fancy,  his  imagination,  served  him 
not.  There  was  but  one  point  on  which  he  was  sat 
isfied  :  he  was  in  love.  His  own  condition  was  no 
mystery. 

Several  weeks  later  he  went  to  New  York  to  ques 
tion  the  Captain  of  the  Wilhelm,  hoping  to  clear 
away  the  clouds  satisfactorily.  To  his  amazement, 
the  captain  said  there  had  been  no  Guggcnslockers 
on  board  nor  had  there  been  persons  answering  the 
description,  so  far  as  he  could  tell. 

Through  the  long  hot  summer  he  worked,  and 
worried,  and  wondered.  In  the  first,  he  did  little 
that  was  satisfactory  to  himself  or  to  his  uncle ;  in 
the  second,  he  did  so  much  that  he  was  advised  by 
his  physician  to  take  a  rest ;  in  the  last,  he  indulged 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  83 

himself  so  extensively  that  it  had  become  unbear 
able.  He  must  know  all  about  her!  But  how? 

The  early  months  of  autumn  found  him  pale  and 
tired  and  indifferent  alike  to  work  and  play.  He 
found  no  pleasure  in  the  society  that  had  known 
him  as  a  lion.  Women  bored  him;  men  annoyed 
him;  the  play  suffocated  him;  the  tiresome  club  was 
ruining  his  temper ;  the  whole  world  was  going 
wrong.  The  doctor  told  him  he  was  approaching 
nervous  prostration;  his  mother's  anxious  eyes 
could  no  longer  be  denied,  so  he  realized  grimly  that 
there  was  but  one  course  left  open  to  him.  He  sug 
gested  it  to  the  doctor,  to  his  mother  and  to  his 
uncle,  and  they  agreed  with  him.  It  involved 
Europe. 

Having  fully  decided  again  to  cross  the  sea,  his 
spirits  revived.  He  became  more  cheerful,  took  an 
interest  in  things  that  were  going  on,  and,  by  the 
time  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  sailed  in  September,  was 
the  picture  of  health  and  life. 

He  was  off  for  Edelweiss — to  the  strange  Miss 
Guggenslocker  who  had  thrown  him  a  kiss  from 
the  deck  that  sailing-day. 


VI 


GIIAUSTARK 

Two  weeks  later  Grenfall  Lorry  was  landed  and 
enjoying  the  sensations,  the  delights  of  that  won 
derful  world  called  by  the  name  of  Paris.  The  sec 
ond  day  after  his  arrival  he  met  a  Harvard  man  of 
his  time  on  the  street.  Harry  Anguish  had  been  a 
pseudo  art  student  for  two  years.  When  at  college 
he  was  a  hail-fellow-well-met,  a  leader  in  athletics 
and  in  matters  upon  which  faculties  frown.  He 
and  Lorry  were  warm  friends,  although  utterly  un 
like  in  temperament ;  to  know  either  of  these  men 
was  to  like  him ;  between  the  two  one  found  all  that 
was  admirable  and  interesting  in  man.  The  faults 
and  virtues  of  each  were  along  such  different  lines 
that  they  balanced  perfectly  when  lumped  upon  the 
scale  of  personal  estimation.  Their  unexpected 
meeting  in  Paris  was  an  exhilarating  pleasure  to 
both,  and  for  the  next  week  or  so  they  were  insep 
arable.  Together  they  sipped  absinthe  at  the  cafes 
and  strolled  into  the  theatres,  the  opera,  the  dance 
halls  and  the  homes  of  some  of  Anguish's  friends, 
French  and  American. 

Lorry  did  not  speak  to  his  friend  of  Graustark 
until  nearly  two  weeks  after  his  arrival  in  the  city. 

84 


GRAUSTARK  85 

He  had  discussed  with  himself  the  advisability  of 
revealing  his  plans  to  Anguish,  fearing  the  latter's 
ridicule  with  all  the  cowardice  of  a  man  who  knows 
that  scoffing  is,  in  a  large  measure,  justifiable.  Grow 
ing  impatient  to  begin  the  search  for  the  unheard-of 
country,  its  capital  and  at  least  one  of  its  inhabi 
tants,  he  was  at  last  compelled  to  inform  Anguish, 
to  a  certain  extent,  of  his  plans  for  the  future.  He 
began  by  telling  him  of  his  intention  to  take  a  run 
over  toward  Vienna,  Buda-Pesth  and  some  of  the 
Eastern  cities,  expecting  to  be  gone  a  couple  of 
months.  To  his  surprise  and  consternation,  An 
guish  enthusiastically  volunteered  to  take  the  trip 
with  him,  having  the  same  project  in  view  for  nearly 
a  year. 

There  was  nothing  left  for  Lorry  but  to  make  a 
clear  breast  of  it,  which  he  did  shamefacedly,  ex 
pecting  the  laughter  and  raillery  of  his  light-hearted 
friend  as  payment  for  his  confidence.  Instead,  how 
ever,  Anguish,  who  possessed  a  lively  and  romantic 
nature,  was  charmed  by  the  story  and  proclaimed  it 
to  be  the  most  delightful  adventure  that  had  ever 
happened  outside  of  a  story-book. 

"  Tell  me  all  about  her,"  he  urged,  his  eyes  spark 
ling  with  boyish  enthusiasm.  And  Lorry  proceeded 
to  give  him  a  personal  description  of  the  mysterious 
beauty,  introducing  him,  in  the  same  manner,  to  the 
distinguished  uncle  and  aunt,  adding  all  those  de 
tails  which  had  confounded  and  upset  him  during 
his  own  investigations. 

"  This  is  rich !  "  exclaimed  Anguish.     "  Beats  any 


86  GRAUSTARK 

novel  written,  I  declare.  Begad,  old  man,  I  don't 
blame  you  for  hunting  down  this  wonderful  bit  of 
femininity.  With  a  curiosity  and  an  admiration 
that  had  been  sharpened  so  keenly  as  yours,  I'd  go 
to  the  end  of  the  world  myself  to  have  them  satis 
fied." 

"  I  may  be  able  to  satisfy  but  one — curiosity.  And 
maybe  not  that.  But  who  knows  of  Graustark?  " 

-'  Don't  give  up  before  you've  tried.  If  these  peo 
ple  live  in  such  a  place,  why,  it  is  to  be  found,  of 
course.  Any  railroad  guide-book  can  locate  this 
land  of  mystery.  There  are  so  many  infernal  little 
kingdoms  and  principalities  over  here  that  it  would 
take  a  lifetime  to  get  'em  all  straightened  out  in 
one's  head.  To-morrow  morning  we  will  go  to  one 
of  the  big  railway  stations  and  make  inquiries. 
We'll  locate  Graustark  and  then  we'll  go  over  and 
pluck  the  flower  that  grows  there.  All  you  need, 
my  boy,  is  a  manager.  I'll  do  the  arranging,  and 
your  little  act  will  be  the  plucking." 

"  Easier  said  than  done." 

"  She  threw  a  kiss  to  you,  didn't  she?  " 

"  Certainly,  but,  confound  it,  that  was  because  she 
never  expected  to  see  me  again." 

"  Same  reason  why  you  threw  a  kiss  to  her,  I  sup 
pose?  " 

"  I  know  why ;  I  wasn't  accountable." 

"Well,  if  she  did  it  any  more  wittingly  than  you 
did,  she  is  accountable,  and  I'd  hunt  her  up  and  de 
mand  an  explanation." 

Lorry  laughed  at  his  apparent  fervor,  but  was 


GRAUSTARK  87 

glad  that  he  had  confided  in  his  energetic  country 
man.  Two  heads  were  better  than  one,  and  he  was 
forced  to  admit  to  himself  that  he  rather  liked  the 
idea  of  company  in  the  undertaking.  Not  that  he 
expected  to  encounter  any  particular  difficulty,  but 
that  he  saw  a  strange  loneliness  ahead.  Therefore 
he  welcomed  his  friend's  avowed  intention  to  ac 
company  him  to  Edelweiss  as  a  relief  instead  of  an 
annoyance.  Until  late  in  the  night  they  discussed 
the  coming  trip,  Anguish  finally  startling  him  with 
a  question,  just  as  he  was  stretching  himself  pre 
paratory  to  the  walk  to  his  hotel. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  her  after  you 
find  her,  Gren,  old  man?  " 

Grenfall's  brow  puckered  and  he  brought  himself 
up  with  a  jerk,  puzzled  uncertainty  expressing  itself 
in  his  posture  as  well  as  in  his  face. 

"  I'll  think  about  that  after  I  have  found  her,"  he 
replied. 

"  Think  you'll  marry  her?  "  persisted  the  other. 

"  How  do  I  know?  "  exclaimed  the  woman  hunter, 
savagely. 

"  Oh,  of  course  you  don't  know — how  could 
you?  "  apologized  Anguish.  "  Maybe  she  won't  have 
you — maybe  she  is  married — all  sorts  of  contingen 
cies,  you  know.  But,  if  you'll  pardon  my  inquisi- 
tiveness,  I'd  like  to  ask  why  you  are  making  this 
wild-goose  chase  half  around  the  world?  Just  to 
have  another  look  at  her?  " 

"  You  asked  me  ii  I  thought—  Here  he 

stopped. 


88  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  take  it  for  granted,  then,  that  you'd  like  to. 
Well,  I'm  glad  I've  got  something  definite  on  which 
to  base  operations.  The  one  subject  of  our  endeav 
ors,  from  now  on,  is  to  exchange  Guggenslocker 
for  Lorry — certainly  no  robbery.  A  charity,  I 
should  say.  Good-night !  See  you  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

The  next  morning  the  two  friends  took  a  cab  to 
several  railway  stations  and  inquired  about  Grau- 
stark  and  Edelweiss. 

"  She  was  stringing  you,  old  man,"  said  Anguish, 
after  they  had  turned  away  from  the  third  station. 
He  spoke  commiseratingly,  as  he  really  felt  sorry. 

"  No !  "  exclaimed  Lorry.  "  She  told  me  the  truth. 
There  is  a  Graustark,  and  she  lives  there.  I'll  stake 
my  life  on  those  eyes  of  hers." 

"  Are  you  sure  she  said  it  was  in  Europe?  "  asked 
Harry,  looking  up  and  down  the  street  as  if  he 
would  not  have  been  surprised  to  see  her  in  Paris. 
In  his  heart  he  believed  that  she  and  her  precious 
relatives  had  deceived  old  Gren.  Perhaps  their 
home  was  in  Paris,  and  nowhere  else.  But  for 
Lorry's  positiveness  he  would  have  laughed  heartily 
at  the  other's  simple  credulity,  or  branded  him  a 
dolt,  the  victim  of  some  merry  actress's  whim. 
Still,  he  was  forced  to  admit,  he  was  not  in  a  posi 
tion  to  see  matters  as  they  appeared,  and  was  chari 
table  enough  to  bide  his  time  and  to  humor  the 
faith  that  was  leading  them  from  place  to  place  in 
the  effort  to  find  a  land  that  they  knew  nothing 
about.  Lorry  seemed  so  sure,  so  positive,  that  he 


GRAUSTARK  89 

was  loath  to  see  his  dream  dispelled,  his  ideal  shat 
tered.  There  was  certainly  no  Graustark ;  neither 
had  the  Guggenslockers  sailed  on  the  Wilhelm,  all 
apparent  evidence  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 
Lorry  had  been  in  a  delirium  and  had  imagined  he 
saw  her  on  the  ship.  If  there,  why  was  not  her 
name  in  the  list?  But  that  problem  tortured  the 
sanguine  searcher  himself. 

At  last,  in  despair,  after  a  fruitless  search  of  two 
days,  Lorry  was  willing  to  submit.  With  the  per- 
verseness  common  to  half-defeated  fighters,  An 
guish  at  once  protested,  forgetting  that  he  had 
sought  to  dissuade  his  friend  the  day  before. 

"  We'll  go  to  the  library  of  Paris  and  take  a  look 
through  the  books  and  maps,"  he  said.  "  Or,  better 
still,  let  us  go  to  the  post-office.  There !  Why  have 
we  not  thought  of  that?  What  there  is  of  a  Grau 
stark  they'll  know  in  the  postal  service." 

Together  they  visited  the  chief  post-office,  where, 
after  being  directed  to  various  deputies  and  clerks, 
they  at  length  found  the  department  in  which  the 
information  was  obtainable.  Inside  of  five  minutes 
they  were  in  possession  of  facts  that  vindicated  Miss 
Guggenslocker,  lifted  Lorry  to  the  seventh  heaven, 
and  put  Mr.  Anguish  into  an  agony  of  impatience. 
Graustark  was  a  small  principality  away  off  to  the 
east,  and  Edelweiss  was  a  city  of  some  seventy-five 
thousand  inhabitants,  according  to  the  postal  guide 
book. 

The  Americans  could  learn  no  more  there,  so 
they  went  to  Baedecker's  office.  Here  they  found 


90  GRAUSTAHK 

a  great  map,  and,  after  diligent  and  almost  micro 
scopic  search,  succeeded  in  discovering  the  princi 
pality  of  Graustark.  Then  they  looked  at  each  other 
in  dismay. 

"  It's  a  devil  of  a  distance  to  that  little  red  blot  on 
the  map,"  mused  Lorry,  pulling  his  nose  reflectively. 
"  What  an  outlandish  place  for  a  girl  like  her  to 
live  in,"  he  continued.  "  And  that  sweet-faced  old 
lady  and  noble  Uncle  Caspar !  Ye  gods !  one  would 
think  barbarians  existed  there  and  not  such  people 
as  the  Guggcnslockers,  refined,  cultivated,  smart, 
rich.  I'm  more  interested  than  ever  in  the  place." 

"  So  am  I !  I'm  willing  and  ready  to  make  the 
trip,  old  man,  if  you  are  still  of  a  mind.  It's  a  lark, 
and,  besides,  she  may  not  be  the  only  pretty  and 
gracious  girl  there.  We've  had  hard  work  to  find  it 
on  the  map,  let's  not  stop  till  we  see  Edelweiss  on  the 
earth  itself." 

They  made  hasty  preparations  for  the  journey. 
Anguish,  romantic  and  full  of  adventure,  advised 
the  purchase  of  a  pair  of  pistols  and  a  knife  apiece, 
maintaining  that,  as  they  were  going  into  an  un 
known  and  mountainous  region,  they  should  be  pre 
pared  for  brigands  and  other  elements  of  danger. 
Lorry  pooh-poohed  the  suggestion  of  brigands,  but 
indulged  his  mood  by  buying  some  ugly-looking  re 
volvers  and  inviting  the  prospect  of  something 
really  thrilling  in  the  way  of  an  adventure.  With 
their  traps  they  were  soon  whirling  through  France, 
bound  for  a  certain  great  city,  on  the  road  to  Edel 
weiss,  one  filled  with  excitement,  eagerness  and  boy- 


GRAUSTARK  91 

ish  zeal,  the  other  harassed  by  the  sombre  fear  that 
a  grave  disappointment  was  in  store  for  him. 
Through  the  glamour  and  the  picturesqueness  of  the 
adventure  there  always  crept  the  unconquerable 
feeling  that  he  was  on  a  fool's  errand,  that  he  was 
committing  a  deed  so  weak  and  brainless  that  it  was 
sure  to  make  him  a  veritable  laughing-stock  when  it 
became  known.  After  all,  who  was  Miss  Guggen- 
slocker — brewer,  baker,  gardener  or  sausage-maker? 

Traveling,  of  course,  was  pleasant  at  this  time 
of  the  year,  and  the  two  Americans  saw  much  that 
interested  them  along  the  way.  Their  French,  espe 
cially  Anguish's,  was  of  great  value  to  them,  for 
they  found  occasion  to  use  it  at  all  times  and  in  all 
places.  Both  spoke  German  fairly  well,  and  took 
every  opportunity  to  brush  up  in  that  language. 
Lorry  remembering  that  the  Guggcnslockers  used 
many  expressions  that  showed  a  preference  for  the 
Teutonic.  The  blithe  Anguish,  confident  and  in 
high  feather,  was  heart  and  soul  in  the  odd  expedi 
tion  of  love,  and  talked  incessantly  of  their  recep 
tion  by  the  far-away  hostess,  their  impressions  and 
the  final  result.  His  camera  and  sketching  ma 
terials  were  packed  away  with  his  traps.  It  was 
his  avowed  intention  to  immortalize  the  trip  by 
means  of  plate,  palate  and  brush. 

At  the  end  of  two  days  they  reached  a  certain 
large  city, — the  first  change,  and  then  seven  hundred 
miles  to  another.  The  distance  from  this  point  to 
the  capital  of  Graustark  was  two  hundred  miles  or 
more,  chiefly  through  the  mountainous  lands.  Some- 


92  GRAUSTARK 

what  elated  by  the  cheerful  information  there  re 
ceived,  they  resumed  the  journey  to  Edelweiss,  the 
city  of  vale,  slope  and  park — summer,  fall  and  win 
ter.  Changing  cars  at  the  end  of  the  second  day  out, 
they  sat  back  in  the  dusty  seats  of  their  carriage  and 
sighed  with  relief. 

"  Unless  we  jump  the  track,  this  train  will  land  us 
in  the  city  we  are  looking  for,"  said  Anguish  stretch 
ing  out  his  legs  comfortably.  "  I'll  admit  it  has  been 
a  tiresome  journey,  and  I'll  be  glad  when  we  can 
step  into  a  decent  hotel,  have  a  rub,  and  feel  like 
white  men  once  more.  I  am  beginning  to  feel  like 
those  dirty  Slavs  and  Huns  we  saw  'way  back  there." 

"  There's  one  thing  certain,"  said  Lorry,  looking 
out  of  the  window.  "  The  people  and  the  habita 
tions  are  different  and  the  whole  world  seems  changed 
since  we  left  that  station.  Look  at  those  fellows 
on  horseback  over  there." 

"  What  did  I  tell  you  about  brigands  and  rob 
bers  !  "  exclaimed  Anguish.  "  If  those  fellows  are 
not  bandits  I'll  lose  faith  in  every  novel  I  ever 
read." 

The  train  rolled  slowly  past  three  mounted  men 
whose  steeds  stood  like  statues  upon  a  little  knoll  to 
the  right  of  the  track,  men  and  beasts  engaged  in 
silent  contemplation  of  the  cars.  The  men,  pictur 
esquely  attired  and  looking  fierce,  carrj'ing  long 
rifles,  certainly  bore  an  aspect  that  suggested  the 
brigand.  When  the  guard  entered  the  carriage  An 
guish  asked  in  German  for  some  information  con 
cerning  the  riders. 


GRAUSTARK  93 

"  Dey're  frontier  police-guards,"  responded  the 
man  in  English,  smiling  at  their  astonishment.  Both 
Americans  arose  and  shook  hands  with  him. 

"  By  George,  it's  good  to  hear  a  man  talk  white 
man's  language,"  cried  Anguish. 

"  How  do  you  come  to  be  holding  a  job  on  this 
road?  An  Englishman? "  demanded  Lorry.  He 
looked  anything  but  English. 

"  I'm  not  an  Englishman,"  said  the  guard,  flushing 
slightly.  "  My  name's  Sitzky,  and  I'm  an  American, 


sir. 

M 


An  American !  "  exclaimed  Lorry.  Sitzky  grew 
loquacious. 

"  Sure !  I  used  to  be  a  sailor  on  a  United  States 
man-o'-war.  A  couple  of  years  ago  I  got  into  trouble 
down  at  Constantinople  and  had  to  get  out  of  the 
service.  After  dat  I  drifted  up  dis  way  and  went 
to  railroadin'."  He  hadn't  exactly  the  manner  of  a 
man-o'-warsman. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  on  this  road?  "  asked 
Grenfall. 

"  'Bout  a  year,  I  should  t'ink.  Been  on  this 
branch  only  two  months,  dough." 

"Are  you  pretty  well  acquainted  in  Edelweiss?  " 

"  Oh,  I  run  in  derc  every  other  day — in  an'  out 
ag'in.  It's  a  fine  place, — purtiest  you  ever  saw  in 
your  life.  The  town  runs  right  up  the  mountain  to 
the  tip-top  where  the  monks  arc — clear  up  in  d* 
clouds.  Dcy  say  it  snows  up  dere  almost  all  d* 
time." 

Later   on,   from   the   loquacious   guard,   the   two 


94  GRAUSTARK 

Americans  learned  quite  a  good  bit  about  the  coun 
try  and  city  to  which  they  were  going.  His  knowl 
edge  was  somewhat  limited  along  certain  lines,  but 
quite  clear  as  to  others. 

"  Dis  Graustark,  's  fer  as  I  know,  is  eeder  a  sort 
o'  State  or  somet'ing  belongin'  to  de  Umpire,  gov 
erned  by  its  own  rulers.  Edelweiss  is  de  capital, 
d'  big  guns  of  d'  land  lives  dere.  I've  walked  out 
and  saw  d'  castle  where  d'  Princess  and  d'  royalty 
hangs  out.  D'  people  speak  a  language  of  deir 
own,  and  I  can't  get  next  to  a  t'ing  dey  say.  But 
once  in  a  while  you  find  some  guy  dat  talks  French 
or  German.  Dey've  got  a  little  standin'  army  of 
two,  free  t'ousand  men  an'  dey've  got  de  hottest 
uniforms  you  ever  did  see — red  an'  black  an'  gold. 
I  don't  see  why  d'  United  States  can't  get  up  some- 
thin'  foxy  fer  her  soldiers  to  wear.  Had  a  war  over 
here  not  long  ago,  I  understand — somethin'  like  ten 
or  fifteen  years  ago.  Dere's  another  little  country 
up  north  of  Graustark,  and  dey  got  in  a  wrangle 
'bout  somethin',  and  dey  tell  me  in  Edelweiss  dat 
for  'bout  a  year  dey  fought  like  Sam  Patch." 

"  Which  was  victorious?  "  demanded  Lorry,  deeply 
interested. 

"  I'm  not  sure.  To  hear  d'  Edelweiss  people  talk 
3Tou'd  t'ink  dey  licked  d'  daylights  out  of  d'  other 
slobs,  but  somehow  I  got  next  to  d'  fact  dat  dem 
other  fellows  captured  de  city  an'  went  after  a 
slashin'  big  war  indemnity.  I  don't  know  much 
'bout  it,  and'  maybe  I'm  clear  off,  but  I  t'ink  d' 
Graustark  army  was  t'rashed.  Everyt'ing  is  pros- 


GRAUSTARK  95 

perous  now,  dough,  an'  you'd  never  know  dere'd 
been  a  war.  It's  d'  most  peaceable  town  I  ever  saw." 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  the  Guggenslockers? " 
asked  the  irrepressible  Anguish,  and  Lorry  felt  like 
kicking  him. 

"In  Edelweiss?     Never  did.     Friends  of  yours?" 

"  Acquaintances,"  interposed  Lorry,  hastily, 
frowning  at  Anguish. 

"  You  won't  have  any  trouble  findin'  'em  if  dere 
anybody  at  all,"  said  Sitzky,  easily.  "  D'  hotel  peo 
ple  ought  to  be  able  to  tell  you  all  'bout  'em." 

"  By  the  way,  what  is  the  best  hotel  there?  "  asked 
Anguish. 

"  Dere's  the  Burnowentz,  one  block  north  of  d' 
depot."  The  travelers  looked  at  one  another  and 
smiled,  Sitzky  observing  the  action.  "  Oh,"  he  said, 
pleasantly,  "  dere's  a  swell  joint  uptown  called  d' 
Regengetz.  It's  too  steep  fer  me,  but  maybe  you 
gents  can  stand  it.  If  you'll  hang  around  d'  depot 
fer  a  little  while  after  we  get  in  I'll  steer  you  up 
dere." 

"  We'll  make  it  worth  your  while,  Sitzky,"  said 
Lorry. 

"  Never  mind  dat,  now.  Americans  ought  to  stick 
together,  no  matter  where  dey  are.  We'll  have  a 
drink  an'  'at's  all,  just  to  show  we're  fellow-coun 
trymen." 

"  We'll  have  several  drinks,  and  we'll  eat  and 
drink  to-night  at  the  *  swell  joint '  you  talk  about," 
said  Anguish. 

"  We  may  drink  dere,  but  I'll  not  eat  dere.     Dey 


96  GRAUSTARK 

wouldn't  let  a  railroad  guard  inside  de  fecdin'  pen. 
Why,  nothin'  but  royal  guys  eat  dere  when  dey're 
downtown  shoppin'  or  exposin'  demselves  to  public 
gaze." 

True  to  his  word,  when  they  reached  Edelweiss 
late  that  afternoon  Sitzky,  their  friend  of  uncertain 
origin,  hurriedly  finished  his  work  and  joined  the 
travelers  in  the  station.  Lorry  and  Anguish  were 
deeply  interested  in  all  they  saw,  the  strange  people, 
the  queer  buildings,  the  odd  costumes  and  the  air  of 
antiquity  that  prevailed.  Once  upon  the  narrow, 
clean  street  they  saw  that  Edelweiss  was  truly  a 
city  of  the  mountain-side.  They  had  expected  some 
thing  wonderful,  but  were  not  prepared  for  what 
they  found.  The  city  actually  ran  up  into  the  clouds. 
There  was  something  so  grand,  so  improbable,  so 
unusual  in  the  spectacle  confronting  them  that  they 
stared  like  children,  aghast  and  stupefied.  Each  had 
the  startling  impression  that  a  great  human-dotted 
mountain  was  falling  over  upon  his  head;  it  was  im 
possible  to  subdue  the  sensation  of  dizziness  that 
the  toppling  town  inspired. 

"  I  know  how  you  feel,"  observed  Sitzky,  laugh 
ing.  "  I  was  just  d'  same  at  first.  To-morrow  you 
walk  a  little  way  up  d'  side  of  d'  mountain  an'  you'll 
see  how  much  of  d'  city  dere  is  on  level  ground 
down  here.  Dem  buildings  up  dere  ain't  more'n 
one-fiftieth  part  of  d'  town.  Dey're  mostly  sum 
mer  homes.  It  gets  hot  as  blazes  down  here  in  d' 
valley  in  d'  middle  of  d'  summer  and  d'  rich  ones 
move  up  d'  mountain." 


GRAUSTARK  97 

"  How  in  thunder  do  people  get  up  to  those 
houses  ?  "  demanded  Anguish. 

"  Mules,"  answered  Sitzky,  specifically.  "  Say ! 
See  dat  little  old  feller  comin'  on  horseback — wid 
d'  white  uniform?  Well,  dat's  de  chief  of  police, 
an'  d'  fellers  behind  him  are  police  guards.  'At's 
old  Dangloss  himself.  He's  a  peach,  dey  say." 

A  short,  grizzly  faced  man,  attired  in  a  white 
uniform  with  red  trimmings,  followed  by  three  men 
similarly  garbed,  rode  by,  going  in  the  direction  of 
the  passenger  station.  Dangloss,  as  Sitzky  had 
called  him,  was  quite  small  in  stature,  rather  stout, 
gray-bearded  and  eagle-nosed.  His  face  was  keen 
and  red,  and  not  at  all  the  kind  to  invite  familiarity. 
As  he  passed  them  the  railroad  guard  of  American 
citizenship  touched  his  cap  and  the  two  travelers 
bowed,  whereupon  the  chief  of  police  gave  them  a 
most  profound  salutation,  fairly  sweeping  his  sad- 
dleskirts  with  his  white  cap. 

"  Polite  old  codger,"  observed  Anguish. 

"  His  company  manners.  Just  let  him  get  you  in 
d'  sweat-box,  if  you  t'ink  he's  polite." 

"  Ever  been  there?  " 

"Well,"  a  little  confusedly,  "I  pasted  a  Grau- 
stark  baggage-smasher  down  in  d'  yards  two  weeks 
ago,  an'  dey  had  me  up.  I  proved  d'  feller  insulted 
a  lady,  an'  old  Dangloss  let  me  off,  sayin'  I'd  ought 
to  have  a  medal.  Dcse  guys  are  great  on  gallantry 
when  ladies  is  concerned.  It  it  hadn't  been  fer  dat, 
I'd  be  in  d'  lock-up  now.  An'  say,  you  ought  to  see 
d'  lock-up?  It's  a  tower,  wid  dungeons  an'  all  dat 


96  GRAUSTARK 

sort  of  t'ing.  A  man  couldn't  no  more  get  out  V 
he  could  fly  up  to  d'  monastery.  Dey're  great  on 
law  an'  order  here,  too.  D'  Princess  has  issued 
strictest  kind  of  rules  an'  everybody  has  to  live  up 
to  'em  like  as  if  dey  was  real  Gospel.  I  fought  I'd 
put  you  next,  gents,  so's  you  wouldn't  be  doin'  any- 
t'ing  crooked  here." 

"  Thanks,"  said  Lorry,  dryly.  "  We  shall  try  to 
conduct  ourselves  discreetly  in  the  city." 

Probably  a  quarter  mile  farther  down  the  narrow, 
level  street  they  came  to  the  bazaars,  the  gaudy 
stores,  and  then  the  hotel.  It  was  truly  a  hostelry 
to  inspire  respect  and  admiration  in  the  mind  of 
such  as  Sitzky,  for  it  was  huge  and  well  equipped 
with  the  modern  appointments.  As  soon  as  the  two 
Americans  had  been  given  their  rooms,  they  sent  for 
their  luggage.  Then  they  went  out  to  the  broad 
piazza,  with  its  columns  and  marble  balustrades,  and 
looked  for  Sitzky,  remembering  their  invitation  to 
drink.  The  guard  had  refused  to  enter  the  hotel 
with  them,  urging  them  to  allow  him  to  remain  on 
the  piazza.  He  was  not  there  when  they  returned, 
but  they  soon  saw  him.  On  the  sidewalk  he  was 
arguing  with  a  white-uniformed  police  guard,  and 
they  realized  that  he  had  been  ejected  from  sacred 
precincts. 

They  promptly  rescued  him  from  the  officer,  who 
bowed  and  strode  away  as  soon  as  they  interceded. 

"  Dese  fellers  are  slick  enough  to  see  you  are 
swells  and  I'm  not,"  said  Sitzky.  not  a  bit  annoyed 
by  his  encounter.  "  I'll  bet  my  head  'at  inside  ten 


GRAUSTARK  99 

minutes  old  Dangloss  will  know  who  you  are,  where 
you  come  from  an'  what  you're  doin'  here." 

"  I'll  bet  fifty  heads  he  won't  find  out  what  we're 
doing  here,"  grinned  Anguish,  looking  at  Lorry. 
"  Well,  let's  hunt  up  the  thirst  department." 

They  found  the  little  apartment  in  which  drinks 
were  served  at  tables,  and  before  they  said  good-bye 
to  Sitzky  in  front  of  the  hotel,  a  half  hour  later, 
that  worthy  was  in  exceedingly  good  humor  and 
very  much  flushed  in  the  face.  He  said  he  would 
be  back  in  two  days,  and  if  they  needed  him  for  any 
purpose  whatever,  they  could  reach  him  by  a  note  at 
the  railway  station. 

"  Funny  how  you  run  across  an  American  in  every 
nook  and  corner  of  the  world,"  mused  Lorry,  as 
they  watched  the  stocky  ex-man-o'-warsman  stroll 
off  towards  his  hotel. 

"  If  we  can  run  across  the  Guggenslockers  as  eas 
ily,  we'll  be  in  luck.  When  shall  we  begin  to  hunt? 
To-night?  " 

"  We  can  make  a  few  inquiries  concerning  them. 
They  certainly  are  people  of  importance  here." 

"  I  don't  see  the  name  of  any  of  the  brewery 
signs  around  town,"  observed  Anguish,  consolingly. 
"  There's  evidently  no  Guggenslocker  here." 

They  strolled  through  the  streets  near  the  hotel 
until  after  six  o'clock,  wondering  at  the  quaint  archi 
tecture,  the  pretty  gardens  and  the  pastoral  atmos 
phere  that  enveloped  the  city.  Everybody  was  busy, 
contented,  quiet  and  happy.  There  was  no  bustle 
or  strife,  no  rush,  no  beggars.  At  six  they  saw 


100  GRAUSTARK 

hundreds  of  workingmen  on  the  streets,  going  to 
their  homes ;  shops  were  closed  and  there  came  to 
their  ears  the  distant  boom  of  cannon,  evidently 
fired  from  different  points  of  the  compass  and  from 
the  highland  as  well  as  the  lowland. 

"  The  toy  army  is  shooting  off  the  good-night 
guns,"  speculated  Anguish.  "  I  suppose  everybody 
goes  to  bed  now." 

"  Or  to  dinner,"  substituted  Lorry,  and  they  re 
turned  to  the  Rcgengctz.  The  dining  hall  was  spaci 
ous  and  beautiful,  a  mixture  of  the  Oriental  and  the 
mediaeval.  It  rapidly  filled. 

"Who  the  dickens  can  all  these  people  be?  They 
look  well,"  Anguish  whispered,  as  if  he  feared  their 
nearest  neighbors  might  understand  his  English. 

"  They  are  unquestionably  of  the  class  in  which 
we  must  expect  to  find  the  Guggenslockers." 

Before  the  meal  was  over  the  two  strangers  saw 
that  they  were  attracting  a  great  deal  of  attention 
from  the  other  guests  of  the  house.  The  women, 
as  well  as  the  men,  were  eyeing  them  and  comment 
ing  quite  freely,  it  was  easy  to  sec.  These  two  hand 
some,  smooth-faced  young  American  were  as  men 
from  another  world,  so  utterly  unlike  their  com 
panions  were  they  in  personal  appearance.  They 
were  taller,  broader  and  more  powerfully  built  than 
the  swarthy-faced  men  about  them,  and  it  was  no 
wonder  that  the  women  allowed  admiration  to  show 
in  their  eyes.  Toward  the  end  of  the  dinner  sev 
eral  officers  came  in,  and  the  Americans  took  par 
ticular  pains  to  study  them.  They  were  cleanly- 


GRAUSTARK  101 

built  fellows,  about  medium  height,  wiry  and  active. 
As  a  class,  the  men  appeared  to  average  five  feet 
seven  inches  in  height,  some  a  little  taller,  some  a 
little  shorter.  The  two  strangers  were  over  six 
feet  tall,  broad-shouldered  and  athletic.  They 
looked  like  giants  among  these  Graustark  men. 

"  They're  not  very  big,  but  they  look  as  if  they'd 
be  nasty  in  a  scrap,"  observed  Anguish,  uncon 
sciously  throwing  out  his  chest. 

"  Strong  as  wildcats,  I'll  wager.  The  women  are 
perfect,  though.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  smarter  set 
of  women,  Harry?  " 

"  Never,  never !  A  paradise  of  pretty  women.  I 
believe  I'll  take  out  naturalization  papers." 

When  the  two  strangers  left  the  dining-room  they 
were  conscious  that  every  eye  in  the  place  was  upon 
them.  They  drew  themselves  to  their  full  height  and 
strode  between  the  tables  toward  the  door,  feeling 
that  as  they  were  on  exhibition  they  ought  to  appear 
to  the  best  advantage.  During  the  evening  they 
heard  frequent  allusions  to  "  The  Americans,"  but 
could  not  understand  what  was  said.  The  hotel  men 
were  more  than  obsequious ;  the  military  men  and 
citizens  were  exceedingly  deferential ;  the  women  who 
strolled  on  the  piazza  or  in  the  great  garden  back 
of  the  hotel  were  discreetly  curious. 

"  We  seem  to  be  the  whole  show  here,  Gren,"  said 
Anguish,  as  they  sat  down  at  one  of  the  tables  in 
the  garden. 

"  I  guess  Americans  are  rare." 

"  I've  found   one   fellow  who   can   speak  German 


102  GRAUSTARK 

and  French,  and  not  one,  except  our  guard,  who 
can  talk  English.  That  clerk  talks  German  fairly 
well.  I  never  heard  such  a  language  as  these  other 
people  use.  Say,  old  man,  we'd  better  make  inquiry 
about  our  friends  to-night.  That  clerk  probably 
won't  be  on  duty  to-morrow." 

"  We'll  ask  him  before  we  go  to  bed,"  agreed 
Lorry,  and  upon  leaving  the  brilliantly  lighted  gar 
den  they  sought  the  landlord  and  asked  if  he  could 
tell  them  where  Caspar  Guggenslocker  lived.  He 
looked  politely  incredulous  and  thoughtful,  and  then, 
with  profound  regret,  assured  them  he  had  never 
heard  the  name.  He  said  he  had  lived  in  Edelweiss 
all  his  life,  and  knew  everybody  of  consequence  in  the 
town. 

"  Surely  there  must  be  such  people  here,"  cried 
Lorry,  almost  appealingly.  He  felt  disheartened  and 
cheated.  Anguish  was  biting  his  lips. 

"  Oh,  possibly  among  the  poorer  classes.  If  I 
were  you,  sir,  I  should  call  on  Captain  Dangloss, 
the  Chief  of  Police.  He  knows  every  soul  in  Edel 
weiss.  I  am  positive  I  have  never  heard  the  name. 
You  will  find  the  Captain  at  the  Tower  to-morrow 
morning." 

The  two  Americans  went  to  bed,  one  so  dismayed 
by  his  disappointment  that  he  could  not  sleep  for 
hours. 


VII 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE 

They  slept  rather  late  in  the  morning,  first  be 
cause  they  were  very  much  fatigued  after  their  long 
journey,  second  for  the  reason  that  they  had  been 
unable  to  woo  slumber  until  long  past  midnight. 
Anguish  stretched  himself  lazily  in  bed  when  he 
heard  Lorry's  voice  from  the  adjoining  room. 

"  I  suppose  we  are  to  consult  the  police  in  order 
to  get  a  clue  to  your  charmer,"  he  yawned.  "  Nice 
friends  you  pick  up  on  railway  journeys.  I'd  be 
ashamed." 

"  Well,  Harry,  I'll  confess  I'm  disgusted.  This 
has  been  the  most  idiotic  thing  I've  ever  done,  and 
if  you  say  the  word  we'll  get  out  of  here  on  the 
first  train — freight  or  passenger.  The  Guggen- 
slockers — pigs "  Mr.  Lorry  was  savage. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  my  boy,  not  a  bit  of  it.  We'll 
make  a  house-to-house  canvass  if  the  police  fail  us. 
Cheer  up,  cheer  up  !  " 

"  You  go  to  thunder !  " 

"  Hold  on !  Don't  talk  like  that,  or  I'll  go  back 
on  you  in  a  minute.  I'm  here  because  I  choose  to  be, 
and  I've  more  heart  in  the  chase  at  this  minute  than 
you  have.  I've  not  lost  hope.  We'll  find  the  Guggen- 

103 


104-  GRAUSTARK 

stackers  if  we  have  to  hire  detectives  to  trace  'em 
from  the  United  States  to  their  very  doorstep.  We're 
going  to  see  the  police  after  breakfast." 

After  breakfast  they  did  go  to  see  the  Baron  Dan- 
gloss.  After  some  inquiry  they  found  the  gloomy, 
foreboding  prison,  and  Mr.  Anguish  boldly  pounded 
on  the  huge  gates.  A  little  shutter  flew  open,  and 
a  man's  face  appeared.  Evidently  he  asked  what 
was  wanted,  but  he  might  as  well  have  demanded 
their  lives,  so  far  were  they  from  understanding  his 
query. 

"Baron  Dangloss? "  asked  Anguish,  promptly. 
The  man  asked  something  else,  but  as  the  Ameri 
cans  shook  their  heads  deprecatingly,  he  withdrew 
his  face  and  presently  swung  open  the  gates.  They 
entered  and  he  closed  the  doors  behind  them,  lock 
ing  them  in.  Then  he  directed  them  across  the 
court  to  an  open  door  in  the  aged  mass  of  gray 
stone.  As  they  strode  away  from  the  guard  Lorry 
created  consternation  by  demanding: 

"  How  are  we  to  talk  to  the  Chief  if  he  doesn't 
understand  us  or  we  him?  We  should  have  brought 
an  interpreter." 

"  I  forgot  about  the  confounded  language.  But 
if  he's  real  he  can  talk  Irish."  Lorry  told  him  he 
wasn't  funny. 

"  Is  this  His  Excellency,  Baron  Dangloss?  "  asked 
Anguish,  stepping  into  a  small  room  and  stopping 
suddenly  in  the  presence  of  the  short,  fierce  man  they 
had  seen  the  day  before.  The  American  spoke  in 
French. 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       105 

"  It  is,  gentlemen.  Of  what  service  can  I  be  to 
Messieurs  Lorry  and  Anguish?  "  responded  the  grim 
little  Chief,  politely  rising  from  beside  his  desk. 
The  visitors  looked  at  one  another  in  surprise. 

"  If  he  knows  our  names  on  such  short  notice, 
he'll  certainly  know  the  Guggenlockers,"  said  An 
guish  to  his  friend  in  English. 

"  Ah,  you  are  looking  for  some  one  named  Gug- 
genslocker?  "  asked  the  Chief,  smiling  broadly  and 
speaking  excellent  English.  "  You  must  not  be  sur 
prised,  gentleman.  I  speak  many  languages.  I 
heard  last  night  that  you  were  inquiring  about  one 
Caspar  Guggenslocker,  and  I  have  racked  my  brain, 
searched  my  books,  questioned  my  officers,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  inform  you  that  there  is  no  such  person  in 
Edelweiss." 

"  I  was  so  well  assured  of  it,  Baron  Dangloss," 
Lorry  said. 

"  The  name  is  totally  unknown  to  me,  sir.  May 
I  ask  why  you  are  searching  for  him?  " 

"  Certainly.  I  met  Mr.  Guggenslocker,  his  wife 
and  his  niece  last  spring  in  the  United  States.  They 
invited  me  to  come  and  see  them  if  I  ever  happened 
to  be  in  this  part  of  the  world.  As  my  friend  and 
I  were  near  here  I  undertook  to  avail  myself  of  their 
invitation." 

"  And  they  said  they  lived  in  Edelweiss,  Grau- 
stark?" 

"  They  did,  and  I'll  humbly  confess  I  did  not  know 
much  of  the  principality  of  Graustark." 

"  That  is  certainly  complimentar}',  but,  then,  we 


106  GRAUSTARK 

are  a  little  out  of  the  beaten  path,  so  it  is  pardon 
able.  I  was  at  first  under  the  impression  that  you 
were  American  detectives  with  extradition  papers 
for  criminals  bearing  the  name  you  mention." 

"  Oh  i  "  gasped  Anguish.  "  We  couldn't  find  our 
selves  if  we  should  be  separated,  Captain." 

The  grizzly-bearded  Captain  laughed  lightly  with 
them,  and  then  asked  Lorry  if  he  would  object  to 
giving  him  the  full  story  of  his  acquaintanceship 
with  the  alleged  Graustarkians.  The  bewildered  and 
disheartened  American  promptly  told  all  he  knew 
about  them,  omitting  certain  tender  details,  of  course. 
As  he  proceeded  the  Chief  grew  more  and  more  in 
terested,  and,  when  at  last  Lorry  came  to  the  des 
cription  of  the  strange  trio,  he  gave  a  sudden  start, 
exposed  a  queer  little  smile  for  a  second  or  so,  and 
then  was  as  sphynxlike  as  before.  The  ever-vigilant 
Anguish  observed  the  involuntary  start  and  smile, 
quick  as  the  Chief  had  been  to  recover  himself,  and 
felt  a  thrill  of  triumph.  To  his  anger  and  impati 
ence,  however,  the  old  officer  calmly  shook  his  head 
at  the  end  of  the  narrative,  and  announced  that  he 
was  as  much  in  the  dark  as  ever. 

"  Well,  we'll  search  awhile  for  ourselves,"  declared 
Anguish,  stubbornly,  not  at  all  satisfied. 

"  You  will  be  wasting  your  time,"  said  the  Chief, 
meaningly. 

"  We've  plenty  to  waste,"  retorted  the  other. 

After  a  few  moments  they  departed,  Baron  Dan- 
gloss  accompanying  them  to  the  gate  and  assuring 
them  that  he  and  his  men  always  would  be  at  their 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       107 

command.  His  nation  admired  the  American  peo 
ple,  he  warmly  declared. 

"  That  old  codger  knows  our  people,  and  I'll  bet 
a  thousand  on  it,"  said  Harry,  angrily,  when  they 
had  gone  some  little  distance  down  the  street.  Then 
he  told  of  the  queer  exposure  Dangloss  had  unwit 
tingly  made.  Lorry,  more  excited  than  he  cared 
to  show,  agreed  that  there  was  something  very  sus 
picious  about  this  new  discovery. 

They  walked  about  the  quaint  town  for  an  hour 
or  two,  examining  the  buildings,  the  people  and  the 
soldiery  with  deep  interest.  From  the  head  of  the 
main  street, — Castle  Avenue, — they  could  plainly 
see  the  royal  palace,  nearly  a  mile  away.  Its  towers 
and  turrets,  gray  and  gaunt,  ran  up  among  the  green 
tree-tops  and  were  outlined  plainly  against  the  yel 
low  hills.  Countless  houses  studded  the  steep  moun 
tain  slope,  and  many  people  were  discerned  walking 
and  riding  along  the  narrow,  ledge-like  streets  which 
wound  toward  the  summit,  far  up  in  the  clouds. 
Clearly  and  distinctly  could  be  seen  the  grim  mon 
astery,  perched  at  the  very  pinnacle  of  the  mountain, 
several  miles  away.  Up  there  it  looked  bleak  and 
cold  and  uninviting,  in  great  contrast  to  the  loveli 
ness  and  warmth  of  the  valley.  Down  below  the  grass 
was  moist  and  soft,  trees  were  approaching  the  stage 
where  yellow  and  red  tints  mingle  with  the  rich 
green,  flowers  were  blooming,  the  land  was  redolent 
of  the  sweet  fragrance  of  autumn,  the  atmosphere 
warm,  clear  and  invigorating.  It  was  paradise  sur 
mounted  by  desolation,  drear  and  deadening. 


108  GRAUSTARK 

Wherever  the  tall,  distinguished  Americans 
walked  they  formed  the  center  of  observation,  and 
were  the  cause  of  comment  that  bore  unmistakable 
signs  of  admiration.  They  bowed  pleasantly  to  many 
of  those  who  passed  them,  and  received  in  return 
gracious  and  profound  recognition.  Military  men 
saluted  courteously ;  the  women  stared  modestly  and 
prettily — perhaps  covetously;  the  merchants  and 
citizens  in  general  bowed  and  smiled  a  welcome  that 
could  not  have  been  heartier.  The  strangers  re 
marked  the  absence  of  vehicles  on  the  main  streets. 
There  were  pack  mules  and  horses,  human  carriers 
— both  male  and  female — but  during  the  entire  morn 
ing  they  saw  not  more  than  six  or  eight  carriages. 
Vehicles  were  used  solely  by  the  quality  and  as  a 
means  of  transportation  for  their  persons  only. 
Everybody,  with  the  few  exceptions  mentioned,  walked 
or  rode  horseback.  The  two  friends  were  delighted 
with  the  place,  and  Anguish  advocated  a  sojourn  of 
several  weeks,  even  though  they  did  not  find  the  Gug- 
genslockers,  his  object  being  to  secure  photographs 
and  sketches  of  the  picturesque  people  and  the 
strange  scenery,  and  to  idle  away  some  hours  upon  the 
glittering  boulevards.  Grcnfall,  since  he  was  in  the 
project  so  deeply,  was  so  nearly  reconciled  as  to  be 
exhilarated  by  the  plan.  They  decided  to  visit  the 
royal  grounds  in  the  afternoon,  providing  there  was 
no  prohibition,  reserving  a  ride  up  the  hill  for  the 
next  day.  A  gendarme  who  spoke  German  fairly  well 
told  them  that  they  could  enter  the  palace  park  if 
they  obtained  a  signed  order  from  the  chief  steward, 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       109 

who  might  be  found  at  any  time  in  his  home  near 
the  gates. 

They  were  strolling  leisurely  toward  the  hotel, 
for  the  moment  forgetting  their  quest  in  this  strange, 
sunny  land,  when  they  espied  a  carriage,  the  most 
conspicuous  of  any  they  had  seen.  The  white  horses 
were  gaily  caparisoned,  the  driver  and  the  footman 
beside  him  wore  rich  uniforms,  the  vehicle  itself 
gleamed  and  glistened  with  gold  and  silver  trim 
mings.  A  short  distance  behind  rode  two  young 
soldiers,  swords  to  their  shoulders,  scabbards  clank 
ing  against  their  stirrups.  Each  was  attired  in  the 
tight  red  trousers,  shiny  boots,  close-fitting  black 
coat  with  gilt  trimmings,  and  the  red  cap  which  the 
Americans  had  noted  before  because  of  its  brilliancy. 
People  along  the  street  were  bowing  deeply  to  the 
occupants,  two  ladies. 

"  Harry !  Look !  "  exclaimed  Lorry,  clutching  his 
friend's  arm  like  a  vise.  "  There  in  the  carriage — 
on  this  side !  "  His  voice  was  hoarse  and  trembling. 

"Miss  Gug — Guggenslocker?  "  cried  Anguish. 

"  Yes  !  Yes  !  "  They  had  stopped  and  Lorry  was 
grasping  a  garden  wall  with  one  hand. 

"  Then  it's  funny  nobody  knows  the  name  here. 
She  seems  to  be  someone  of  consequence.  Good 
heaven,  I  don't  blame  you!  She's  the  most  beau 
tiful " 

By  this  time  the  carriage  was  almost  opposite 
and  within  forty  feet  of  where  they  stood.  The 
ladies,  Miss  Guggcnslocker's  companion  as  young 
and  almost  as  beautiful  as  herself,  had  not  observed 


110  GRAUSTARK 

the  agitated  two,  but  Lorry's  face  was  beaming,  his 
hat  was  off,  and  he  was  ready  to  spring  to  the  car 
riage  side  at  a  moment's  warning.  Then  the  young 
girl  at  the  side  of  the  woman  whose  beauty  had 
drawn  a  man  half  around  the  world  saw  the  tall 
strangers,  and  called  her  companion's  attention  to 
them.  Once  more  Grenfall  Lorry  and  Miss  Gug- 
genslocker  were  looking  into  each  other's  eyes. 

The  lady  started  violently,  her  eyes  grew  wide, 
her  lips  parted,  and  her  body  was  bent  forward 
eagerly,  a  little  gloved  hand  grasping  the  side  of  the 
open  carriage.  Her  "  ideal  American  "  was  bowing 
low,  as  was  the  tall  fellow  at  his  side.  When  he 
looked  up  again  his  eyes  were  glowing,  his  hand 
some  face  was  flushed,  and  he  saw  her  smile,  blush 
furiously  and  incline  her  head  gravely.  The  car 
riage  had  swept  past,  but  she  turned  her  head,  and 
he  detected  an  appealing  glance  in  her  eyes,  a  per 
plexed  wrinkle  across  her  brow,  both  of  which  were 
swept  away  an  instant  later  by  the  most  bewitching 
of  smiles.  Again  her  head  was  inclined,  this  time 
a  trifle  more  energetically,  and  then  the  maddening 
face  was  turned  from  him.  The  equipage  rolled 
onward,  and  there  was  no  effort  on  her  part  to 
check  its  progress.  The  men  were  left  standing 
alone  and  disappointed  on  the  streets  of  Edelweiss, 
the  object  of  their  search  slipping  away  as  soon  as 
she  had  been  found.  Her  companion  was  amazed 
by  the  little  scene,  it  was  evident,  judging  by  the 
eager  look  on  her  face  as  she  turned  with  a  question  in 
her  eyes. 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       111 

"  Turned  down !  "  exclaimed  the  irrepressible  An 
guish,  dolefully.  "  That's  pretty  shabby  treatment, 
old  man.  But  she's  quite  worth  the  journey." 

"  I'll  not  go  back  to  America  without  her.  Do 
you  hear  that,  Harry  Anguish?"  He  was  excited 
and  trembling.  "But  why  didn't  she  stop?"  he 
went  on,  dismally. 

"  Oh,  you  dear  old  fool !  "  said  Anguish. 

The  two  stood  looking  after  the  carriage  until  it 
turned  into  a  side  street,  half  way  down  the  shady 
stretch  toward  the  castle.  They  saw  her  companion 
glance  back,  but  could  not  tell  whether  she  did  or 
not.  Lorry  looked  uneasily  at  Anguish,  and  the 
latter  read  his  thought. 

"  You  are  wondering  about  the  Guggenslocker 
name,  eh?  I'll  tell  you  what  I've  worked  out  dur 
ing  the  past  two  minutes.  Her  name  is  no  more 
Guggenslocker  than  mine  is.  She  and  the  uncle 
used  that  name  as  a  blind.  Mark  my  words,  she's 
quality  over  here ;  that's  all  there  is  about  it.  Now, 
we  must  find  out  just  who  she  really  is.  Here  comes 
a  smart-looking  soldier  chap.  Let's  ask  him,  pro 
viding  we  can  make  him  understand." 

A  young  soldier  approached,  leisurely  twirling  a 
cane,  for  he  was  without  his  side  arms.  Anguish 
accosted  him  in  French  and  then  in  German.  He 
understood  the  latter  and  was  very  polite. 

"  Who  was  the  young  lady  in  the  carriage  that 
just  passed?  "  asked  Lorry,  eagerly. 

The  face  of  the  soldier  flushed  and  then  grew 
pale  with  anger. 


112  GRAUSTARK 

"  Hold  on !  I  beg  pardon,  but  we  are  strangers 
and  don't  quite  understand  your  ways.  I  can't  see 
anything  improper  in  asking  such  a  question,"  said 
Anguish,  attempting  to  detain  him.  The  young  man 
struck  his  hand  from  his  arm  and  his  eyes  fairly 
blazed. 

"  You  must  learn  our  ways.  We  never  pass  com 
ment  on  a  lady.  If  you  do  so  in  your  land,  I  am 
sorry  for  your  ladies.  I  refuse  to  be  questioned  by 
you.  Stand  aside,  fellow !  " 

Anguish  stood  aside  in  astonishment,  and  they 
watched  the  wrathful  gallant  strut  down  the  street, 
his  back  stiff  as  a  board. 

"  Damned  touchy  !  "  growled  Anguish. 

*'  You  remember  what  Sitzky  said  about  their  re 
spect  for  the  weaker  sex.  I  guess  we'd  better  keep 
off  that  track  or  we'll  hatch  up  a  duel  or  two.  They 
seem  to  be  fire-eaters.  We  must  content  ourselves 
with  searching  out  her  home  and  without  assist 
ance,  too.  I've  cooled  off  a  bit,  Harry,  and,  now 
that  I've  seen  her,  I'm  willing  to  go  slowly  and  de 
liberately.  Let's  take  our  time  and  be  perfectly 
cool.  I  am  beginning  to  agree  with  your  incog, 
proposition.  It's  all  clearing  up  in  my  mind  now. 
We'll  go  back  to  the  hotel  and  get  ready  for  the 
visit  to  the  palace  grounds." 

"Don't  you  intend  to  hunt  her  up?  'Gad,  I 
wouldn't  miss  a  minute  if  I  had  a  chance  to  be  with 
a  girl  like  that!  And  the  other  was  no  scarecrow. 
She  is  rather  a  beauty,  too.  Greatest  town  for 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       113 

pretty  women  I  ever  struck.  Vienna  is  out  of  it 
entirely." 

They  strolled  on  to  the  hotel,  discussing  the  en 
counter  in  all  its  exhilarating  details.  Scarcely  had 
they  seated  themselves  on  the  piazza,  after  partak 
ing  of  a  light  luncheon,  when  a  man  came  galloping 
up  to  the  walk  in  front  of  the  hotel.  Throwing  his 
bridle  rein  to  a  guard,  he  hastened  to  the  piazza. 
His  attire  was  that  of  a  groom,  and  something  about 
him  reminded  them  of  the  footman  who  sat  beside 
the  driver  of  the  carriage  they  had  seen  a  short  time 
before.  He  came  straight  to  where  the  Americans 
sat  smoking,  and,  bowing  low,  held  before  them  an 
envelope.  The  address  was  "  Grenfall  Lorry, 
Esq re,"  but  the  man  was  in  doubt  as  to  which  was  he. 

Lorry  grasped  the  envelope,  tore  it  open,  and  drew 
forth  a  daintily  written  note.  It  read: 

"  My  Dear  Mr.  Lorry : 

"  I  was  very  much  surprised  to  see  you  this  morn 
ing — I  may  add  that  I  was  delighted.  If  you  will 
accompany  this  messenger  when  he  calls  for  you  at 
three  o'clock  to-morrow  afternoon,  he  will  conduct 
you  to  my  home,  where  I  shall  truly  be  charmed  to 
see  you  again.  Will  you  bring  your  friend  ? 

"  SOPHIA  GUGGENSLOCKER." 

Lorry  could  have  embraced  the  messenger.  There 
was  a  suspicion  of  breathlessness  in  his  voice  when 
he  tried  to  say  calmly  to  Harry : 

"  An  invitation  for  to-morrow." 

"  I  knew  it  would  come  that  way." 

"  Also  wants  you  to  come." 


114  GRAUSTARK 

"Sha'n't  I  be  in  the  way?" 

"  Not  at  all,  my  boy.  I'll  accept  for  you.  After 
this  fellow  goes,  I'll  let  you  read  the  note.  Wait 
until  I  write  an  answer." 

Motioning  for  the  man  to  remain,  he  hastened  to 
his  room,  pulled  out  some  stationery,  and  feverishly 
wrote : 

"  My  Dear  Miss  Gugf*enslocker : 

"  I  shall  be  delighted  to  accompany  your  messen 
ger  to-morrow,  and  my  friend,  Mr.  Harry  Anguish, 
will  be  with  me.  I  have  come  half  way  across  the 
continent  to  see  you,  and  I  shall  be  repaid  if  I  am 
with  you  but  for  a  moment.  You  will  pardon  me 
if  I  say  that  your  name  has  caused  me  despair.  No 
one  seems  to  have  heard  it  here,  and  I  was  begin 
ning  to  lose  hope.  You  may  expect  me  at  three, 
and  I  thank  you  for  the  pleasure  you  bestow. 
"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  GRENFALL  LORRY." 

This  note,  part  of  which  had  been  written  with 
misgiving,  he  gave  to  the  messenger,  who  rode  away 
quickly. 

"  She  didn't  wait  long  to  write  to  you,  I  notice.  Is 
it  possible  she  is  suffering  from  the  effects  of  those 
three  days  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic?  Come 
to  think  of  it,  she  blushed  when  she  saw  you  this 
morning,"  said  Anguish.  Lorry  handed  him  her 
note,  which  he  read,  and  then  solemnly  shook  hands 
with  its  recipient.  "  Congratulations.  I  am  a  very 
far-sighted  young  man,  having  lived  in  Paris." 


VIII 

THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS 

That  afternoon  they  went  to  the  palace  grounds 
and  inquired  for  the  chief  steward.  After  a  few 
moments  they  were  shown  to  his  office  in  a  small 
dwelling  house  just  inside  the  gates.  The  steward 
was  a  red-faced  little  man,  pleasant  and  accommo 
dating.  He  could  speak  German — in  fact,  he  was 
a  German  by  birth — and  they  had  no  difficulty  in 
presenting  their  request.  Mr.  Fraasch — Jacob 
Fraasch — was  at  first  dubious,  but  their  frank, 
eager  faces  soon  gained  for  them  his  consent  to 
see  that  part  of  the  great  park  open  to  the  public. 
Beyond  certain  lines  they  were  not  to  trespass.  An 
guish  asked  how  they  could  be  expected  to  distin 
guish  these  lines,  being  unacquainted,  and  the  stew 
ard  grimly  informed  them  that  the  members  of 
the  royal  guard  would  establish  the  lines  so  plainly 
that  it  would  be  quite  clear. 

He  then  wrote  for  them  a  pass  to  the  grounds  of 
the  royal  palace  of  Graustark,  affixing  his  seal.  In 
giving  this  pass  to  them,  he  found  occasion  to  say 
that  the  Princess  had  instructed  him  to  extend  every 
courtesy  possible  to  an  American  citizen.  It  was 
then  that  Anguish  asked  if  he  might  be  permitted  to 

115 


116  GRAUSTARK 

use  his  camera.  There  was  an  instant  and  emphatic 
refusal,  and  they  were  told  that  the  pass  would  be 
rescinded  if  they  did  not  leave  the  camera  outside 
the  gates.  Reluctantly,  Anguish  deposited  his  luck 
less  box  in  the  steward's  office,  and  they  passed 
into  the  broad  avenue  which  led  toward  the  palace. 

A  guard,  who  served  also  as  a  guide,  stepped  to 
their  side  befoi-c  they  had  taken  ten  paces.  Where 
he  came  from  they  never  knew,  so  instantaneous 
was  his  appearance.  He  remained  with  them  dur 
ing  the  two  hours  spent  in  the  wonderful  park. 

The  palace  stood  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
grounds,  possibly  a  half  mile  from  the  base  of  the 
mountain.  Its  front  faced  the  mountain  side.  The 
visitors  were  not  permitted  to  go  closer  than  a  quar 
ter  of  a  mile  from  the  structure,  but  attained  a  posi 
tion  from  which  it  could  be  seen  in  all  its  massive, 
ancient  splendor.  Anguish,  who  had  studied  churches 
and  old  structures,  painted  the  castles  on  the  Rhine, 
and  was  something  of  a  connoisseur  in  architecture, 
was  of  the  opinion  that  it  had  been  standing  for  more 
than  five  hundred  years.  It  was  a  vast,  mediaeval  mass 
of  stone,  covered  with  moss  and  ivy,  with  towers, 
turrets  and  battlements.  There  had  been  a  moat  in 
bygone  days,  but  modern  ideas  had  transformed  the 
waterway  into  solid,  level  ground.  This  they  learned 
afterwards.  Broad  avenues  approached  in  several 
directions,  the  castle  standing  at  the  far  side  of  a 
wide  circle  or  parade  ground.  The  open  space  before 
the  balconies  was  fully  three  hundred  yards  square, 
and  was  paved.  From  each  side  stretched  the  vcl- 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    117 

vety  green  with  its  fountains,  its  trees,  its  arbors,  its 
flowers,  its  grottos  and  its  red-legged  soldiers. 

The  park  was  probably  a  mile  square,  and  was 
surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  on  the  top  of  which  were 
litle  guard-houses  and  several  masked  cannon.  In 
all  their  travels  the  Americans  had  not  seen  a  more 
delightful  bit  of  artifice,  and  they  wandered  about 
with  a  serene  content  that  would  have  appealed  to 
anyone  but  their  voiceless  guide.  He  led  them  about 
the  place,  allowing  them  to  form  their  own  conclu 
sions,  draw  their  own  inferences  and  make  their 
own  calculations.  His  only  acts  were  to  salute  the 
guards  who  passed  and  to  present  arms  when  he 
had  conducted  his  charges  to  the  edge  of  forbidden 
territory.  When  they  had  completed  their  tour  of 
inspection  their  guide  rapidly  led  the  way  to  the 
wall  that  encircled  the  grounds,  reaching  it  at  a 
point  not  far  from  the  castle  itself.  Here  was  situ 
ated  another  large  gate,  through  which  they  did 
not  pass.  Instead,  they  ascended  some  steps  and 
came  out  upon  the  high  wall.  The  top  of  this  wall 
was  several  feet  wide,  and  walking  was  compara 
tively  safe.  They  soon  understood  the  guide's  de 
sign.  The  object  was  to  walk  along  this  wall  until 
they  reached  the  main  gate.  Why  this  peculiar 
course  was  to  be  taken  they  could  not  imagine  at 
first.  Anguish's  fertile  brain  came  to  the  rescue. 
He  saw  a  number  of  women  in  a  distant  part  of  the 
grounds,  and,  remembering  their  guide's  haste  in 
conducting  them  to  the  wall,  rightly  conjectured 
that  it  was  against  custom  for  visitors  to  meet  and 


118  GRAUSTARK 

gaze  upon  members  of  the  royal  household.  The 
men  and  women,  none  of  whom  could  be  plainly 
distinguished  from  the  far-away  wall,  were  un 
doubtedly  a  part  of  the  castle's  family,  and  were 
not  to  be  subjected  to  the  curious  gaze  of  sight 
seers.  Perhaps  Her  Royal  Highness,  the  Princess 
of  Graustark,  was  among  them. 

They  reached  the  main  gate  and  descended,  An 
guish  securing  his  camera,  after  which  they  thanked 
the  steward  and  turned  to  fee  the  guide.  But  he 
had  disappeared  as  if  the  ground  had  swallowed  him. 

"  Well,  it's  a  fair  Versailles,"  observed  Anguish, 
as  they  walked  down  the  street,  glancing  back  at  the 
frowning  wall. 

"  It  all  goes  to  make  me  wonder  why  in  the  name 
of  heaven  we  have  never  heard  of  this  land  of  Grau 
stark,"  said  Lorry,  still  thinking  of  the  castle's  gran 
deur. 

"  My  boy,  there  are  lots  of  things  we  don't  know. 
We're  too  busy.  Don't  you  remember  that  but  one- 
half  the  world  knows  how  the  other  half  lives?  I'll 
wager  there  are  not  twenty-five  people  in  the  United 
States  who  know  there  is  such  a  country  as  Grau 
stark." 

"  I  don't  believe  that  a  single  soul  over  there  has 
heard  of  the  place,"  vouchsafed  Lorry,  very  truth- 
fully. 

"  I'll  accept  the  amendment,"  said  Anguish.  Then 
he  proceeded  to  take  a  snap-shot  of  the  castle  from 
the  middle  of  the  street.  H  also  secured  a  number 
of  views  of  the  mountain  side,  of  some  odd  little 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS     119 

dwelling  houses,  and  two  or  three  interesting  ex 
posures  of  red-robed  children.  Everybody,  from  the 
children  up,  wore  loose  robes,  some  red,  some  black, 
some  blue,  but  all  in  solid  colors.  Beneath  these 
robes  were  baggy  trousers  and  blouses  among  the 
men,  short  skirts  among  the  women.  All  wore  low 
boots  and  a  sort  of  turban.  These  costumes,  of 
course,  were  confined  to  the  native  civilians.  At 
the  hotel  the  garb  of  the  aristocrats  was  vastly  dif 
ferent.  The  women  were  gowned  after  the  latest 
Viennese  patterns,  and  the  men,  except  those  of  the 
army,  wore  clothes  almost  as  smart  as  those  which 
covered  the  Americans.  Miss  Guggenslocker — or 
whatever  her  name  might  be — and  her  carriage  com 
panion  were  as  exquisitely  gowned  as  any  women  to 
be  seen  on  the  boulevards  or  in  Hyde  Park  of  an 
afternoon. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  returned 
to  the  hotel.  After  dinner,  during  which  they  were 
again  objects  of  interest,  they  strolled  off  towards 
the  castle,  smoking  their  cigars  and  enjoying  the 
glorious  air.  Being  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land, 
Lorry  acted  on  the  romantic  painter's  advice  and 
also  stuck  a  revolver  in  his  pocket.  He  laughed  at 
the  suggestion  that  there  might  be  use  for  the  weapon 
in  such  a  quiet,  model,  well-regulated  town,  but 
Anguish  insisted : 

"  I've  seen  a  lot  of  these  fellows  around  town  who 
look  like  genuine  brigands  and  cut-throats,  and  I 
think  it  just  as  well  that  we  be  prepared,"  asserted 


120  GRAUSTARK 

he,  positively,  and  his  friend  gratified  what  he  called 
a  whim. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  slender  moon  dropped  behind 
the  mountain,  and  the  valley,  which  had  been  touched 
with  its  tender  light,  gradually  took  on  the  sombreness 
and  stillness  of  a  star-lit  night.  The  town  slumbered 
at  eleven,  and  there  were  few  lights  to  be  seen  in  the 
streets  or  in  the  houses.  Here  and  there  strolled 
the  white-uniformed  police  guards ;  occasionally 
soldiers  hurried  barracks-ward;  now  and  then  belated 
citizens  moved  through  the  dense  shadows  on  the  side 
walks,  but  the  Americans  saw  still  life  in  its  reality. 
Returning  from  their  stroll  beside  the  castle-walls, 
far  to  the  west  of  where  they  had  entered  the  grounds 
that  afternoon,  they  paused  in  the  middle  of  Castle 
Avenue,  near  the  main  gate,  and  looked  down  the 
dark,  deserted  street.  Far  away  could  be  seen  the 
faint  glare  from  their  hotel ;  one  or  two  street-lamps 
burned  in  the  business  part  of  the  city ;  aside  from 
these  evidences  of  life  there  was  nothing  but  dark 
ness,  silence,  peaccfulness  about  them  everywhere. 

"  Think  of  Paris  or  New  York  at  eleven  o'clock," 
said  Lorry,  a  trifle  awed  by  the  solitude  of  the  sleep 
ing  city. 

"  It's  as  dead  as  a  piece  of  prairie-land,"  said  his 
friend.  "  'Gad,  it  makes  me  sleepy  to  look  down 
that  street.  It's  a  mile  to  the  hotel,  too,  Lorry. 
We'd  better  move  along." 

"  Let's  lie  down  near  the  hedge,  smoke  another 
cigar  and  wait  till  midnight.  It  is  too  glorious  a 
night  to  be  lost  in  sleep,"  urged  Lorry,  whose  heart- 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS     121 

was  light  over  the  joys  of  the  day  to  come.  "  I  can 
dream  just  as  well  here,  looking  at  the  dark  old 
castle  with  its  one  little  tower-light,  as  I  could  if  I 
tried  to  sleep  in  a  hard  bed  down  at  the  hotel." 

Anguish,  who  was  more  or  less  of  a  dreamer  him 
self,  consented,  and,  after  lighting  fresh  cigars,  they 
threw  themselves  on  the  soft,  dry  grass  near  the  tall 
hedge  that  fenced  the  avenue  as  it  neared  the  castle 
grounds.  For  half  an  hour  they  talked  by  fits  and 
starts ;  long  silences  were  common,  broken  only  by 
brief  phrases  which  seemed  so  to  disturb  the  or  2  to 
whom  they  were  addressed  that  he  answered  gruffly 
and  not  at  all  politely.  Their  cigars,  burnt  to  mere 
stubs,  were  thrown  away,  and  still  the  waking 
dreamers  stretched  themselves  in  the  almost  impene 
trable  shade  of  the  hedge,  one  thinking  of  the  face 
he  had  seen,  the  other  picturing  in  his  artist  eye  the 
painting  he  had  vowed  to  create  from  the  moon-lit 
castle  of  an  hour  ago. 

"  Some  one  coming,"  murmured  the  painter,  half 
rising  to  his  elbow  attentively. 

"  Soldiers,"  said  the  other  briefly.  "  They'll  not 
disturb  us." 

"  They'll  not  even  see  us,  I  should  say.  It's  as 
dark  as  Egypt  under  this  hedge.  They'll  pass  if  we 
keep  quiet." 

The  figures  of  two  men  could  be  seen  approaching 
from  the  city,  dim  and  ghostly  in  the  semi-black 
ness  of  the  night.  Like  two  thieves,  the  Americans 
waited  for  them  to  pass.  To  their  exceeding  dis 
comfiture,  however,  the  pedestrians  halted  directly 


122  GRAUSTARK 

in  front  of  their  resting  place  and  seated  themselves 
leisurely  upon  a  broad,  flat  stone  at  the  roadside.  It 
was  too  dark  to  see  if  they  were  soldiers,  notwith 
standing  the  fact  that  they  were  less  than  fifteen 
feet  away. 

"  He  should  be  here  at  twelve,"  said  one  of  the 
newcomers  in  a  low  voice  and  in  fairly  good  Eng 
lish.  The  other  merely  grunted.  There  was  a  silence 
of  some  duration,  broken  by  the  first  speaker. 

"  If  this  job  fails  and  you  arc  caught  it  will  mean 
years  of  servitude." 

"  But  in  that  case  we  are  to  have  ten  thousand 
gavvos  apiece  for  each  year  we  lie  in  prison.  It's 
fair  pay — not  only  for  our  failure,  but  for  our 
silence,"  said  the  other,  whose  English  was  more 
difficult  to  understand. 

Anguish's  fingers  gripped  Lorry's  leg,  but  there 
was  no  sound  from  either  of  the  thoroughly  aroused 
dreamers.  "  A  plot,  as  I  live,"  thought  each,  with  a 
thrill. 

"  We  must  be  careful  to  speak  only  in  English. 
There  are  not  twenty  people  in  Edelweiss  who  un 
derstand  it,  but  the  night  has  ears.  It  is  the  only 
safe  tongue.  Geddos  speaks  it  well.  He  should  be 
here."  It  was  the  first  speaker  who  uttered  these 
words,  little  knowing  that  he  had  listeners  other 
than  the  man  to  whom  he  spoke. 

A  dark  figure  shot  across  the  roadway,  and,  al 
most  before  the  Americans  were  aware  of  it,  the 
party  numbered  three. 

"  Ah,  Geddos,  you  are  punctual." 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    123 

"  I  have  found  it  ever  a  virtue,"  responded  the 
newcomer. 

"  Have  you  secured  your  men?  " 

"  I  have  your " 

"  Sh !  Call  me  Michael,  on  your  life !  They  are 
ready  and  willing  to  undertake  the  venture  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  they  do  not  understand  the  true  condi 
tions.  I  have  told  them  that  we  are  to  rob  the 
castle  and  carry  the  booty  to  Ganlook  before  morn- 
ing." 

"  They  do  not  know  the  real  object  of  the  raid, 
then.  That  is  as  I  desired.  Are  they  trusty  and 
experienced  men?  " 

"  The  best — or  the  worst — that  I  could  find  in 
Vienna.  Not  one  understands  our  language,  and 
they  are  so  ignorant  of  our  town  that  they  are  en 
tirely  dependent  on  me.  They  know  nothing  what 
ever  of  the  Princess,  Michael,  and  will  do  only  as 
they  are  told,  realizing  that  if  caught  they  will  be 
guillotined.  I  have  told  them  it  is  the  royal  palace 
we  are  to  rifle.  Ostrom,  here,  and  I,  are  the  only 
ones,  except  yourself  and  the  men  who  will  aid  us 
inside  the  castle,  who  know  the  truth,  sir." 

"  It  cannot  fail,  unless  those  inside  prove  false  or 
unwortlvy,"  said  the  hoarse-voiced  Ostrom.  An 
guish's  fingers  were  gripping  Lorry's  leg  so  fiercely 
that  the  blood  was  ready  to  burst  out,  but  he  did 
not  feel  the  pain.  Here,  then,  was  some  gigantic 
plot  in  which  the  person  of  the  Princess  herself  was 
to  be  considered.  Was  it  an  assassination? 

"  You  have  five  of  these  Viennese?  " 


GRAUSTARK 

"Yes.  Two  to  stand  beneath  the  window  to  re 
ceive  the  booty  as  we  lower  it  to  the  groi/nd,  one 
to  stand  guard  at  the  west  gate  and  two  to  attend 
the  carriage  and  horses  in  the  ravine  beyond  the 
castle." 

"  When  did  these  men  arrive?  " 

"  This  morning.  I  kept  them  in  my  sister's  home 
until  an  hour  ago.  They  are  now  in  the  ravine, 
awaiting  Ostrom  and  myself.  Are  you  sure,  Michael, 
that  the  guards  and  the  cook  have  been  made  to 
understand  every  detail?  The  faintest  slip  will  mean 
ruin." 

"  They  are  to  be  trusted  fully.  Their  pay  is  to 
be  high  enough  to  make  it  an  object  to  be  infallible. 
The  guard,  Dushan,  will  leave  the  gate  unwatched, 
and  you  will  chloroform  him — with  his  consent,  of 
course.  You  will  enter,  as  I  have  explained  before, 
crawl  along  the  dark  shadow  of  the  wall  until  you 
reach  the  arbor  that  leads  to  the  kitchen  and  scullery. 
Here  another  guard,  Rabbo — known  to  Ostrom  as 
a  comrade  in  Her  Royal  Highness's  service  not  more 
than  a  year  ago — will  be  encountered.  He  will  be 
bound  and  gagged  without  the  least  noise  or  strug 
gle.  Just  as  the  clock  strikes  two  the  cook  will  walk 
past  the  scullery  window,  in  the  basement,  thrice, 
carrying  a  lighted  candle.  You  will  see  this  light 
through  the  window,  and  will  know  that  all  is  well 
inside  the  castle.  Ostrom,  you  will  then  lead  the  two 
Viennese  to  a  place  directly  beneath  the  third  window 
in  the  Princess's  sleeping  apartment.  There  are 
several  clumps  of  shrubbery  there,  and  under  these 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    125 

they  will  hide,  protected  from  the  gaze  of  any  watch 
man  who  is  not  with  us.  You  and  Geddos  will  be 
admitted  to  the  scullery  by  the  cook,  who  will  con 
duct  you  to  the  hall  leading  to  Her  Highness's  bed 
room.  The  man  who  guards  her  door  is  called  Dan- 
nox.  He  will  not  be  at  his  post,  but  will  accompany 
you  when  you  leave  the  castle.  You  will  understand 
how  carefully  you  must  enter  her  room  and  how 
deeply  she  must  be  chloroformed.  In  the  adjoining 
room  her  lady-in-waiting,  the  Countess  Dagmar, 
sleeps.  If  her  door  is  ajar,  you  are  to  creep  in  and 
chloroform  her,  leaving  her  undisturbed.  Then  the 
Princess  is  to  be  wrapped  in  the  cloth  you  take  with 
you  and  lowered  from  the  window  to  the  men  below. 
They  are  to  remain  in  hiding  until  you  have  left  the 
castle  and  have  reached  their  side.  It  will  not  be  dif 
ficult,  if  caution  is  observed,  for  you  to  get  outside  of 
the  wall  and  to  the  carriage  in  the  ravine.  I  have 
given  you  this  plan  of  action  before,  I  know,  but  I 
desire  to  impress  it  firmly  upon  your  minds.  There 
must  not  be  the  slighest  deviation.  The  precision  of 
clockwork  is  necessary." 

The  man  named  Michael  hissed  the  foregoing  into 
the  ears  of  his  companions,  the  palsied  Americans 
hearing  every  word  distinctly.  They  scarcely 
breathed,  so  tremendous  was  the  restraint  imposed 
upon  their  nerves.  A  crime  so  huge,  so  daring,  as 
the  abduction  of  a  Princess,  the  actual  invasion  of 
a  castle  to  commit  the  theft  of  a  human  being  just 
as  an  ordinary  burglar  would  steal  in  and  make  way 


126  GRAUSTARK 

with  the  contents  of  a  silver  chest,  was  beyond  their 
power  of  comprehension. 

"  We  understand  fully  how  it  is  to  be  done,  and 
we  shall  get  her  to  Ganlook  on  time,"  said  Geddos, 
confidently. 

"  Not  a  hair  of  her  head  must  be  harmed,"  cau 
tioned  the  arch-conspirator.  "  In  four  days  I  shall 
meet  you  at  Ganlook.  You  will  keep  her  in  close 
confinement  until  you  hear  from  me.  Have  you 
the  guards'  uniforms  that  you  are  to  wear  to-night?  " 

"  They  are  with  the  carriage  in  the  ravine ;  Os- 
trom  and  I  will  don  them  before  going  to  the  castle. 
In  case  we  are  seen,  they  will  throw  observers  off  the 
track  long  enough  for  us  to  secure  a  good  start  in 
our  flight." 

"  Remember,  there  is  to  be  no  failure.  This  may 
mean  death  to  you ;  certainly  a  long  prison  term  if 
you  are  apprehended.  I  know  it  is  a  daring  deed, 
but  it  is  just  the  kind  that  succeeds.  Who  would 
dream  that  mortal  man  could  find  the  courage  to 
steal  a  Princess  of  the  realm  from  her  bed  and 
spirit  her  away  from  under  the  very  noses  of  her 
vaunted  guardsmen?  It  is  the  bold,  the  impossible 
plan  that  wins." 

"  We  cannot  fail  if  your  men  on  the  inside  do 
their  work  well,"  said  Geddos,  repeating  what  Os- 
trom  had  said.  "  All  depends  on  their  faithfulness." 

"  They  will  not  be  found  wanting.  Your  cut 
throats  must  be  sent  on  to  Caias  with  the  empty 
carriage  after  you  have  reached  Ganlook  in  safety. 
You  will  need  them  no  more.  Ostrom  will  pay  them, 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    127 

and  they  are  to  leave  the  country  as  quickly  as  pos 
sible.  At  Caias  they  will  be  able  to  join  a  pack- 
train  that  will  carry  them  to  the  Great  Northern 
Railroad.  From  there  they  will  have  no  trouble  in 
reaching  Vienna.  You  will  explain  to  them,  Geddos. 
All  we  need  them  for,  as  you  know,  is  to  prove  by 
their  mere  presence  in  case  of  capture  that  the  at 
tempt  was  no  more  than  a  case  of  burglary  conceived 
by  a  band  of  Viennese  robbers.  There  will  be  no 
danger  of  capture  if  you  once  get  her  outside  the 
walls.  You  can  be  half  way  to  Ganlook  before  she 
is  missed  from  the  castle.  Nor  can  she  be  found  at 
Ganlook  if  you  follow  the  instructions  I  gave  last 
night.  It  is  now  nearly  one  o'clock,  and  in  half  an 
hour  the  night  will  be  as  dark  as  Erebus.  Go,  men; 
you  have  no  more  time  to  lose,  for  this  must  be  ac 
complished  slowly,  carefully,  deliberately.  There 
must  be  no  haste  until  you  are  ready  for  the  race  to 
Ganlook.  Go,  but  for  God's  sake,  do  not  harm  her ! 
And  do  not  fail!  " 

"  Failure  means  more  to  us  than  to  you,  Michael," 
half  whispered  the  hoarse  Ostrom. 

"  Failure  means  everything  to  me !  I  must  have 
her !  " 

Already  the  two  hirelings  were  moving  off  to 
ward  the  road  that  ran  west  of  the  castle  grounds. 
Michael  watched  them  for  a  moment  and  then  started 
swiftly  in  the  direction  of  the  city.  The  watchers 
had  not  been  ible  to  distinguish  the  faces  of  the  con 
spirators,  but  they  could  never  forget  the  calm,  cold 
voice  of  Michael,  with  its  quaint,  jerky  English. 


128  GRAUSTARK 

"What  shall  we  do?"  whispered  Anguish,  when 
the  men  were  out  of  hearing. 

"  God  knows  !  "  answered  Lorry.  "  This  is  the 
most  damnable  thing  I  ever  heard  of.  Arc  we 
dreaming?  Did  we  really  see  and  hear  those  men?  " 
He  had  risen  to  his  feet,  his  companion  sitting  weakly 
before  him. 

"  There's  no  question  about  it !  It's  a  case  of  ab 
duction,  and  we  have  it  in  our  power  to  spoil  the 
whole  job.  By  Gad,  but  this  is  luck,  Gren!"  An 
guish  was  quivering  with  excitement  as  he  rose  to 
his  feet.  "  Shall  we  notify  old  Dangloss  or  alarm 
the  steward?  There's  no  time  to  be  lost  if  we  want 
to  trap  these  fellows.  The  chief  devil  is  bound  to 
escape,  for  we  can't  get  him  and  the  others,  too, 
and  they  won't  peach  on  him.  Come,  we  must  be 
lively!  What  are  you  standing  there  for?  Damn 
it,  the  trap  must  be  set !  " 

**  Wait!    Why  not  do  the  whole  job  ourselves?  " 

"  How — what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Why  should  we  alarm  anybody  ?  We  know  the 
plans  as  well  as  these  scoundrels  themselves.  Why 
not  follow  them  right  into  the  castle,  capture  them 
red-handed,  and  then- do  the  alarming?  I'm  in  for 
saving  the  Princess  of  Graustark  with  our  own  hands 
and  right  under  the  noses  of  her  vaunted  guards 
men,  as  Michael  says."  Lorry  was  thrilled  by  the 
spirit  of  adventure.  His  hand  gripped  his  friend's 
arm  and  his  face  was  close  to  his  ear.  "  It  is  the 
grandest  opportunity  two  human  beings  ever  had  to 
distinguish  themselves !  " 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    129 

"  Great  heaven,  man !  We  can't  do  such  a  thing !  " 
gasped  Anguish. 

"  It's  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world.  Besides,  if 
we  fail,  we  have  nothing  to  lose.  If  we  succeed, 
see  what  we've  done !  Don't  hesitate,  old  man ! 
Come  on !  Come  on !  We'll  take  'em  ourselves,  as 
sure  as  fate.  Have  you  no  nerve?  What  kind  of  an 
American  are  you?  This  chance  won't  come  in  ten 
lifetimes !  Good  God,  man,  are  we  not  equal  to  those 
two  scoundrels?  " 

"  Two  ?    There  are  at  least  ten  of  them  !  " 

"  You  fool !  The  three  guards  are  disposed  of  in 
advance,  two  of  the  Viennese  are  left  with  the 
horses,  two  are  chucked  off  under  the  Princess's 
window,  and  one  stands  at  the  gate.  We  can  slug 
the  man  at  the  gate,  the  fellows  under  the  window 
are  harmless,  and  that  leaves  but  our  two  friends 
and  the  cook.  We  have  every  advantage  in  the 
world.  Can't  you  see?  " 

"  You  are  right !  Come  on !  I'll  risk  it  with  you. 
We  will  save  the  Princess  of  Graustark !  " 

"  Don't  you  see  it  will  be  just  as  easy  for  us  to 
enter  the  castle  as  for  these  robbers?  The  way  will 
be  clear,  and  will  be  kept  clear.  Jove,  man,  we  need 
not  be  more  than  thirty  seconds  behind  them.  Is 
your  pistol  all  right?  " 

By  this  time  the  two  men  were  speeding  along 
the  grassy  stretch  toward  the  road  that  ran  beside 
the  wall.  They  looked  at  their  pistols,  and  placed 
them  carefully  in  outside  coat  pockets. 

"  We  must  throw  away  these  heavy  canes,"  whis- 


130  GRAUSTARK 

percd  the  painter  to  his  friend,  who  was  a  pace  or 
so  ahead. 

"  Keep  it !  We'll  need  one  of  them  to  crack  that 
fellow's  head  at  the  gate.  'Gad,  it's  dark  along  here !  " 

"  How  the  devil  are  we  to  know  where  to  go?  " 

"  We'll  stop  when  we  come  to  the  gate  where  we 
•climbed  up  the  wall  to-day.  That  is  the  only  en 
trance  I  saw  along  the  west  wall,  and  it  is  near  the 
castle.  Just  as  soon  as  the  gang  enters  that  gate 
we'll  crawl  up  and  get  rid  of  the  fellow  who  stands 
watch." 

It  was  so  dark  that  they  could  barely  see  the  road 
way,  and  they  found  it  necessary  to  cease  talking 
as  they  slunk  along  beside  the  wall.  Occasionally 
they  paused  to  listen,  fearing  that  they  might  draw 
too  close  upon  the  men  who  had  gone  before.  At 
last  they  came  to  a  big  gate  and  halted. 

"  Is  this  the  gate?  "  whispered  Anguish. 

"  Sh !  Yes,  I'm  quite  sure.  We  are  undoubtedly 
near  the  castle,  judging  by  the  distance  we  have 
come.  Let  us  cross  the  road  and  lie  directly  oppo 
site.  Be  careful !  " 

Like  panthers,  they  stole  across  the  road  and 
down  a  short,  grassy  embankment.  At  Anguish's 
suggestion,  Lorry  wrapped  his  handkerchief  tightly 
about  the  heavy  end  of  his  cane,  preparing  in  that 
way  to  deaden  the  sound  of  the  blow  that  was  to 
fall  upon  the  Vienna  man's  head.  Then  they  threw 
aside  their  hats,  buttoned  their  coats  tightly,  and 
sank  down  to  wait,  with  bounding  hearts  and  tin 
gling  nerves,  the  arrival  of  the  abductors,  mutely 
praying  that  they  were  at  the  right  gate. 


IX 


THE  EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH 

During  the  half  hour  spent  in  the  grassy  ditch 
or  gutter,  they  spoke  not  more  than  half  'a  dozen 
times,  and  in  the  faintest  of  whispers.  They  could 
hear  the  guard  pacing  the  driveway  inside  the  pon 
derous  gate,  but  aside  from  his  footsteps  no  sound 
was  distinguishable.  A  sense  of  oppression  came 
over  the  two  watchers  as  the  minutes  grew  longer 
and  more  deathlike  in  their  stillness.  Each  found 
himself  wondering  why  the  leaves  did  not  stir  in 
the  trees,  why  there  were  no  nightbirds,  no  crickets, 
no  croaking  frogs,  no  sign  of  life  save  that  steady, 
clocklike  tread  inside  the  wall.  So  dark  was  it  that 
the  wall  itself  was  but  a  deeper  shadow  against  the 
almost  opaque  blackness  beyond.  No  night,  it  seemed 
to  them,  had  ever  been  so  dark,  so  still.  After  the 
oppression  came  the  strange  feeling  of  dread,  the  re 
sult  of  an  enforced  contemplation  of  the  affair  in 
which  they  were  to  take  a  hand,  ignorant  of  every 
thing  except  the  general  plan. 

They  knew  nothing  of  the  surroundings.  If  they 
failed,  there  was  the  danger  of  being  shot  by  the 
guards  before  an  explanation  could  be  made.  If  they 
succeeded,  it  must  be  through  sheer  good  fortune  and 

181 


132  GRAUSTARK 

not  through  prowess  of  mind  or  muscle.  On<?e  in 
side  the  castle,  how  could  they  hope  to  follow  the 
abductors  at  a  safe  distance  and  still  avoid  the  dan 
ger  of  being  lost  or  running  into  trusty  guards? 
The  longer  they  lay  there  the  more  hazardous  be 
came  the  part  they  had  so  recklessly  ventured  to 
play.  In  the  heart  of  each  there  surged  a  growing 
desire  to  abandon  the  plan,  yet  neither  could  bring 
himself  jo  the  point  of  proposing  the  retreat  from 
the  inspired  undertaking.  Both  knew  the  sensible, 
judicious  act  would  be  to  alarm  the  guards  and  thus 
avoid  all  possible  chance  of  a  fiasco.  With  misgiv 
ings  and  doubts  in  their  hearts  the  two  self-ap 
pointed  guardians  of  the  Princess  lay  there  upon 
the  grass,  afraid  to  give  up  the  project,  yet  fearing 
the  outcome. 

"  The  dickens  will  be  to  pay,  Lorry,  if  they  dis 
pose  of  this  guard  on  the  inside  and  lock  the  gate. 
Then  how  are  we  to  follow?  "  whispered  Anguish. 

Lorry  was  thoughtful  for  a  while.  He  felt  the 
chill  of  discouragement  in  his  heart. 

"  In  that  case  we  must  lie  outside  and  wait  till 
they  come  out  with  the  Princess.  Then  make  a 
sudden  assault  and  rescue  her.  In  the  darkness  we 
can  make  them  think  there  are  a  dozen  rescuers," 
he  whispered  at  length.  After  a  while  Anguish  asked 
another  appalling  question,  the  outgrowth  of  brain- 
racking  study: 

"  Suppose  these  fellows  who  will  be  in  guards' 
uniform,  should  turn  about  and  capture  us.  What 
then?  We  are  strangers,  and  our  story  would  not 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH     133 

be  believed.      They  could  slip   away  in  the   excite 
ment  and  leave  us  in  a  very  awkward  position." 

"  Harry,  if  we  are  going  to  hatch  up  all  sorts  of 
possibilities,  let's  give  up  the  thing  right  now.  I 
have  though  of  a  thousand  contingencies,  and  I 
realize  how  desperate  the  job  is  to  be.  We  must 
either  cast  discretion  to  the  winds  or  we  must  re 
treat.  Which  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  Cast  aside  discretion  and  hang  our  fears,"  said 
the  other,  once  more  inspired.  "  We'll  take  chances 
and  hope  for  the  best.  If  we  see  we're  are  going  to 
fail  we  can  then  call  for  the  guards.  The  grounds 
are  doubtless  full  of  soldiers.  The  only  part  I'm 
worried  about  is  the  groping  through  that  strange, 
dark  castle." 

"  We  must  do  some  calculating  and  we  must  stick 
close  together.  By  watching  where  they  station  the 
two  Viennese  we  can  figure  about  what  direction  we 
must  take  to  get  to  the  Princess's  room.  Sh !  Isn't 
that  some  one  approaching?  " 

They  strained  their  ears  for  a  moment  and 
then  involuntarily,  spasmodically  shook  hands,  each 
heaving  the  deep  breath  of  excitement.  The  stealthy 
rustle  of  moving  bodies  was  heard,  faint,  but  posi 
tive.  It  was  a  moment  of  suspense  that  would  have 
strained  the  nerve  of  a  stone  image.  Where  were 
the  abductors?  On  which  side  of  the  road  and 
from  what  direction  did  they  come?  Oh,  for  the 
eyes  of  a  cat? 

There  was  a  slight  shuffling  of  feet  near  the  gate, 
a  suppressed  "  Sh !  "  and  then  deathly  silence.  The 


134  GRAUSTARK 

gate  opened,  a  faint  creaking  attesting  the  fact,  fol 
lowed  by  the  heavy  breathing  of  men,  the  noise  of 
subdued  activity,  the  scent  of  chloroform.  Some 
whispering,  and  then  the  creaking  of  the  gate. 

"  They've  gone,"  whispered  Anguish.  Lorry's 
form  arose  to  a  crouching  posture  and  a  moment 
later  he  was  crossing  the  road  with  the  tread  of  a 
cat,  his  cane  gripped  firmly  in  his  hand.  Anguish 
followed  with  drawn  revolver.  So  still  was  their 
approach  that  they  were  upon  the  figure  of  a  man 
before  they  were  aware  of  the  fact.  In  the  darkness 
the  foremost  American  saw  the  outline  of  a  human 
figure  bending  over  a  long  object  on  the  ground. 
He  could  smell  chloroform  strongly,  and  grasped 
the  situation.  The  Viennese  was  administering  the 
drug,  his  companions  having  left  that  duty  for  him 
to  perform.  No  doubt  the  treacherous  guardsman 
was  lying  calmly  on  his  back,  bound  and  gagged, 
welcoming  unconsciousness  with  a  smile  of  security. 

As  soon  as  Lorry  gained  his  bearing  fully  he 
prepared  to  fell  the  wretch  who  was  to  stand  watch. 
Anguish  heard  his  friend's  figure  suddenly  shoot  to 
an  erect  position.  A  whirring  sound  as  of  disturbed 
air  and  then  a  dull  thud.  Something  rolled  over  on 
the  ground,  and  all  was  still.  He  was  at  Lorry's 
side  in  an  instant. 

"  I  hope  I  haven't  killed  him,"  whispered  Lorry. 
"  Quick !  Here  is  his  bottle  of  ether.  Hold  it  be 
neath  his  nose.  I  am  going  to  pile  the  body  of  this 
guard  crosswise  on  top  of  him.  He  will  not  be 
able  to  arise  if  he  should  recover  consciousness." 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH    135 

All  this  was  done  in  a  moment's  time,  and  the 
two  trackers  were  headed  for  the  entrance.  The 
gate  was  ajar  two  or  three  feet.  With  turbulent 
hearts,  they  stole  through. 

"  Keep  along  the  wall,"  whispered  Lorry,  "  and 
trust  to  luck.  The  castle  is  to  the  left." 

Without  hesitation  they  crept  over  the  noiseless 
grass,  close  beside  the  wall.  Directly  they  heard 
sounds  near  at  hand.  The  abductors  were  binding 
and  chloroforming  the  guard  at  the  arbor.  After 
waiting  for  some  moments  they  heard  the  party 
glide  away  in  the  darkness,  and  followed.  The 
body  of  the  guard  was  lying  just  outside  the  mouth 
of  the  arbor,  and  the  odor  of  chloroform  was  almost 
overpowering.  Once  inside  the  long  arbor,  the 
Americans  moved  slowly  and  with  greater  caution. 
There  was  a  dim  light  in  a  basement  window  ahead. 
Toward  the  front  of  the  castle  and  in  the  second 
story  a  faint  glow  came  from  another  window. 
They  guessed  it  to  be  from  the  Princess's  room  or 
from  that  of  the  Countess. 

At  last  they  saw  four  figures  steal  past  the  dim 
basement  light.  One  of  them  halted  near  the  win 
dow,  and  three  crept  away  in  the  darkness.  Pres 
ently  one  of  them  returned,  and  all  activity  was  at 
an  end  for  the  time  being.  How  near  it  was  to  two 
o'clock  the  watchers  could  not  tell.  They  only 
knew  that  they  were  within  twenty-five  feet  of  Ged 
dos  and  Ostrom,  and  that  they  would  not  have  long 
to  wait. 

Soon   a  bright   little   blaze   of  light   crossed   the 


136  GRAU  STARK 

basement  opening.  Then  it  returned,  crossing  a 
second  time,  and  a  third.  All  was  still  again.  The 
soft  shuffle  of  a  foot,  the  rustle  of  arbor  vines,  and 
the  form  of  a  man  crawled  up  to  the  window.  With 
inconceivable  stealth  and  carefulness  it  glided 
through  the  aperture,  followed  by  a  companion. 

Lorry  and  Anguish  were  at  the  opening  a  second 
or  two  later,  lying  flat  on  their  stomachs  and  listen 
ing  for  sounds  from  within.  The  dim  light  was  still 
there,  the  window  was  open,  and  there  was  a  sound 
of  whispering.  Lorry  raised  his  head  and  peered 
through,  taking  calculations  while  the  light  made  it 
possible.  He  saw  an  open  door  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  low  room,  with  steps  beyond,  leading  up 
ward.  Between  the  window  and  the  door  there 
were  no  obstacles.  Up  those  steps  he  saw  three 
men  creep,  the  leader  carrying  the  dim  light.  The 
door  was  left  open,  doubtless  to  afford  unimpeded 
exit  from  the  building  in  case  of  emergency.  Harry 
Anguish  touched  Lorry's  arm. 

"  I  took  the  two  pistols  from  that  Vienna  man 
out  there.  We  may  need  them.  Here  is  one  for 
yourself.  Go  first,  Lorry,"  he  whispered. 

Lorry  stuck  the  revolver  in  his  coat  pocket  and 
gently  slid  through  the  window  to  the  floor  below. 
His  friend  followed,  and  they  paused  to  listen.  Tak 
ing  Anguish  by  the  hand,  the  other  led  the  way 
straight  to  the  spot  where  he  remembered  seeing 
the  door. 

Boldly  the  two  men  began  the  breathless  ascent 
of  the  stone  steps.  The  top  was  reached,  and  far 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH     137 

ahead,  down  a  narrow  hall,  they  saw  the  three  men 
and  the  dim  light  moving.  Two  of  them  wore  uni 
forms  of  guards.  Keeping  close  to  the  wall,  their 
followers  crept  after  them.  Up  another  flight  of 
steps  they  went,  and  then  through  a  spacious  hall. 
The  Americans  had  no  time  and  no  desire  to  inspect 
their  surroundings.  The  wide  doors  at  the  far  side 
of  the  room  opened  softly,  and  here  the  trio  paused. 
Down  a  great  marble  hallway  a  dim  red  light  shed 
its  soft  glow.  It  came  from  the  lamp  at  the  foot  of 
the  broad  staircase. 

The  cook  pointed  to  the  steps,  and  then  gave  his 
thumb  a  jerk  toward  the  left.  Without  the  least 
sign  of  fear,  Geddos  and  Ostrom  glided  into  the 
hall  and  made  for  the  staircase.  The  watchers  could 
not  but  feel  a  thrill  of  admiration  for  these  daring 
wretches.  But  now  a  new  danger  confronted  them. 
The  cook  remained  standing  in  the  doorway,  watch 
ing  his  fellows  in  crime!  How  were  they  to  pass 
him? 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  The  abductors  were 
creeping  up  the  steps  already,  and  the  cook  must  be 
disposed  of.  He  had  blown  out  the  light  which  he 
carried,  and  was  now  a  very  dim  shadow.  Lorry 
glided  forward  and  in  an  instant  stood  before  the 
amazed  fellow,  jamming  a  pistol  into  his  face. 

"  A  sound  and  you  die !  "  he  hissed. 

"  Don't  move !  "  came  another  whisper,  and  a  sec 
ond  revolver  touched  his  ear.  The  cook,  perhaps, 
did  not  know  their  language,  but  he  certainly  under 
stood  its  meaning.  He  trembled,  and  would  have 


138  GRAUSTARK 

fallen  to  the  floor  had  not  the  strong  hand  of  Lorry 
pinned  him  to  the  wall.  The  hand  was  on  his  throat, 
too. 

"  Chloroform  him,  Harry,  and  don't  let  him  make 
a  sound !  "  whispered  the  owner  of  the  hand.  An 
guish's  twitching  fingers  succeeded  those  of  his 
friend  on  the  cook's  throat,  his  pistol  was  returned 
to  his  pocket,  and  the  little  bottle  came  again  into 
use. 

"  I'll  go  ahead.  Follow  me  as  soon  as  you  have 
finished  this  fellow.  Be  careful,  and  turn  to  the  left 
when  you  come  to  the  top." 

Lorry  was  off  across  the  marble  floor,  headed  for 
the  stairway,  and  Anguish  was  left  in  charge  of  the 
cook,  of  whom  he  was  to  make  short  work.  Now 
came  the  desperate,  uncertain  part  of  the  transac 
tion.  Suppose  he  were  to  meet  the  two  conspirators 
at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  or  in  the  hall,  or  that  the 
other  traitor,  Dannox,  should  appear  to  frustrate 
all.  It  was  the  most  trying  moment  in  the  whole 
life  of  the  reckless  Lorry. 

When  near  the  top  of  the  steps  he  hugged  the 
light  balustrade  and  cautiously  peered  ahead.  He 
found  himself  looking  down  a  long  hall,  at  the  far 
end  of  which,  to  his  right,  a  dim  light  was  burning. 
There  was  no  sound  and  there  was  no  sign  of  the 
two  men,  either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left.  His  heart 
felt  Lke  lead !  They  evidently  had  entered  the 
Princess's  room!  How  was  he  to  find  that  room? 
Slowly  he  wriggled  across  the  broad,  dark  hall, 
straightening  up  in  the  shadow  of  a  great  post. 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH     139 

From  this  point  he  edged  along  the  wall  for  a  dis 
tance  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  to  the  left.  A  sound 
came  from  farther  down  the  hall,  and  he  imagined 
he  heard  some  one  approaching. 

His  hand  came  in  contact  with  a  heavy  hanging 
or  tapestry,  and  he  quickly  squirmed  behind  its 
folds,  finding  himself  against  a  door  which  moved 
as  his  body  touched  it.  He  felt  it  swing  open 
slightly  and  drew  back,  intending  to  return  to  the 
hall,  uncertain  and  very  much  undecided  as  to  the 
course  to  pursue.  His  revolver  was  in  his  hand.  Just 
as  he  was  about  to  pull  aside  the  curtain  a  man  glided 
past,  quickly  followed  by  another.  Providence  had 
kept  him  from  running  squarely  into  them.  They 
were  going  toward  the  left,  and  he  realized  that  they 
were  now  approaching  the  Princess's  room.  How 
he  came  to  be  ahead  of  them  he  could  not  imagine. 
Strange  trembling  seized  his  legs,  so  great  was  the 
relief  after  the  narrow  escape.  Again  he  felt  the 
door  move  slightly  as  he  pressed  against  it.  The 
necessity  for  a  partial  recovery  of  his  composure  be 
fore  the  next  and  most  important  step  impelled 
him  softly  to  enter  the  room  for  an  instant's  breath. 

Holding  to  the  door,  he  stood  inside  and  drew 
himself  to  his  full  height,  taking  a  long  and  tremu 
lous  breath.  There  was  no  light  in  the  room,  but 
through  the  door  crack  to  his  left  came  a  dim,  broad 
streak.  He  now  knew  where  he  was.  This  room 
was  next  to  that  in  which  the  Princess  slept,  for  had 
he  not  seen  the  light  from  her  window?  Perhaps 
he  was  now  in  the  room  of  the  Countess  Dagmar. 


140  GRAUSTARK 

Next  door!  Next  door!  Even  now  the  daring 
Geddos  and  Ostrom  were  crawling  towards  the  bed 
of  the  ruler  of  Graustark,  not  twenty  feet  away. 
His  first  impulse  was  to  cross  and  open  the  door 
leading  to  the  next  room,  surmising  that  it  would  be 
unlocked,  but  he  remembered  Anguish,  who  was 
doubtless,  by  this  time,  stealing  up  the  stairs.  They 
must  not  be  separated,  for  it  would  require  two 
steady,  cool  heads  to  deal  with  the  villains.  It  was 
not  one  man's  work.  As  he  turned  to  leave  the 
room,  he  thought  how  wonderfully  well  they  had 
succeeded  in  the  delicate  enterprise  so  far. 

His  knees  struck  the  door,  and  there  was  a  dull 
thump,  not  loud  in  reality,  but  like  the  report  of  a 
gun  to  him.  A  sudden  rustle  in  the  darkness  of  the 
room  and  then  a  sleepy  voice,  soft  and  quick,  as  of 
a  woman  awakening  with  a  start. 

"Who  is  it?" 

His  heart  ceased  beating,  his  body  grew  stiff  and 
immovable.  Again  the  voice,  a  touch  of  alarm  in  it 
now : 

"  Is  that  you,  Dannox?  " 

She  spoke  in  German,  and  the  voice  came  from 
somewhere  in  front  and  to  his  right.  He  could  not 
answer,  could  not  move.  The  paralysis  of  inde 
cision  was  upon  him. 

'*  How  is  it  that  the  outer  door  is  open?  " 

This  time  there  was  something  like  a  reprimand 
in  the  tones,  still  low.  He  almost  could  see  the  wide- 
open,  searching  eyes. 


X 


YETIVE 

There  could  be  no  further  hesitation.  Something 
must  be  done,  and  instantly.  He  gently  closed  the 
door  before  answering  the  third  question.  In  his 
nervousness  he  spoke  in  English,  advancing  to  the 
middle  of  the  room.  Impossible  to  see  the  woman 
to  whom  he  hissed  this  alarming  threat — he  only 
could  speculate  as  to  its  effect : 

"  If  you  utter  a  sound,  madam,  I  shall  kill  you. 
Be  calm,  and  allow  me  to  explain  my  presence 
here !  " 

He  expected  her  to  shriek,  forgetting  that  she 
might  not  understand  his  words.  Instead  there  was 
a  deathly  silence.  Had  she  swooned?  His  heart 
was  leaping  with  hope.  But  she  spoke  softly  again, 
tremulously,  and  in  English : 

"  You  will  find  my  jewels  on  the  dressing-table. 
Take  them  and  go.  You  will  not  hurt  me?  " 

*•  I  am  not  here  to  do  you  injury,  but  to  serve  your 
Princess,"  whispered  the  man.  "  For  God's  sake, 
do  not  make  an  outcry.  You  will  ruin  everything. 
Will  you  let  me  explain?  " 

"Go!  Go!  Take  anything!  I  can  be  calm  no 
longer.  Oh,  how  can  I  expect  mercy  at  your 

141 


GRAUSTARK 

hands !  "     Her  tones  were  rising  to  a  wail  of  ter 
ror. 

"Sh!     Do  you  want  to  die?"  he  hissed,  striding 
to  the  canopy  bed,  discernible  as  his  eyes  grew  ac 
customed  to  the  darkness.     "  I  will  kill  you  if  you 
utter  a  sound,  so  help  me  God !  " 
"  Oh !  "  she  moaned. 

"  Listen !  You  must  aid  me  !  Do  you  hear?  " 
Another  heart-breaking  moan.  "  I  am  here  to 
save  the  Princess.  There  is  a  plot  to  abduct  her  to 
night.  Already  there  are  men  in  the  castle,  per 
haps  in  her  room.  You  must  tell  me  where  she 
sleeps.  There  is  no  time  to  be  lost.  I  am  no  thief, 
before  God !  I  am  telling  you  the  truth.  Do  not 
be  alarmed,  I  implore  you.  Trust  me,  madam,  and 
you  will  not  regret  it.  Where  docs  the  Princess 
sleep?  "  He  jerked  out  these  eager,  pleading  words 
quickly,  breathlessly. 

"  How  am  I  to  trust  you?  "  came  back  a  whisper 
from  the  bed. 

"  Here  is  a  revolver !  Take  it  and  kill  me  if  I 
attempt  the  slighest  injury.  Where  are  you?  "  He 
felt  along  the  bed  with  his  hand. 

"  Keep  away  !    Please !    Please !  "    she  sobbed. 
"  Take  the  pistol !    Be  calm,  and  in  heaven's  name 
help   me   to    save   her.      Those   wretches   may   have 
killed  her  already  !  " 

The  revolver  dropped  upon  the  clothes.  He  was 
bending  eagerly  over,  holding  the  curtains  back. 

"  My  friend  is  in  the  hall.  We  have  traced  the 
men  to  the  Princess's  door,  I  think.  My  God,  be 


YETIVE  143 

quick!  Do  you  wish  to  see  her  stolen  from  under 
your  eyes  ?  " 

"  You  are  now  in  the  Princess's  room,"  answered 
the  voice  from  the  bed,  calmer  and  with  some  alacrity. 
"  Is  this  true  that  you  tell  me?  " 

"  As  God  is  my  witness  !  And  you — you — are  the 
Princess?  "  gasped  the  man,  drawing  back. 

"I  am.  Where  is  Dannox?  "  She  was  sitting 
bolt  upright  in  the  bed,  the  pistol  in  her  trembling 
fingers. 

"  He  is  one  of  the  conspirators.  One  of  the  crooks 
and  two  other  guards  are  in  the  plot.  Can  you  trust 
me  enough  to  leave  your  bed  and  hide  in  another  part 
of  the  room?  The  scoundrels  have  mistaken  the 
door,  but  they  may  be  here  at  any  moment.  You 
must  be  quick !  I  will  protect  you — I  swear  it ! 
Come,  your  Highness  !  Hide !  " 

"  Something  in  the  fierce,  anxious  whisper  gave 
her  confidence.  The  miracle  had  been  wrought! 
He  had  composed  this  woman  under  the  most  try 
ing  circumstances  that  could  have  been  imagined. 
She  slipped  from  the  bed  and  threw  a  long,  loose 
silken  gown  about  her. 

"  Who  are  you?  "  she  asked,  touching  his  arm. 

"  I  am  a  foreigner — an  American — Grenfall 
Lorry !  Hurry !  "  he  implored. 

She  did  not  move  for  a  moment,  but  he  distinctly 
heard  her  catch  her  breath. 

"  Am  I  dreaming?  "  she  murmured,  faintly.  Her 
fingers  now  clutched  his  arm  tightly. 


144.  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  should  say  not !  I  don't  like  to  order  you 
around,  your  Highness,  but " 

"  Come — come  to  the  light !  "  she  interrupted,  ex 
citedly.  "  Over  here !  " 

Noiselessly  she  drew  him  across  the  room  until 
the  light  fell  across  his  face.  It  was  not  a  bright 
light,  but  what  she  saw  satisfied  her.  He  could  not 
see  her  face,  for  she  stood  outside  the  strip  of  dusty 
yellow. 

"  Two  men  lie  beneath  your  window,  and  two  are 
coming  to  this  room.  Where  shall  I  go?  Come,  be 
quick,  madam !  Do  you  want  to  be  carted  off  to 
Ganlook?  Then  don't  stand  there  like  a — like  a— 
pardon  me,  I  won't  say  it !  " 

"  I  trust  you  fully.  Shall  I  alarm  the  guard?  "  she 
whispered,  recovering  her  self-possession. 

"  By  no  means !  I  want  to  catch  those  devils  my 
self.  Afterwards  we  can  alarm  the  guards!  " 

"  An  ideal  American ! "  she  surprised  him  by  say 
ing.  "  Follow  me !  " 

She  led  him  to  the  doorway.  "  Stand  here,  and 
I  will  call  the  Countess.  At  this  side,  where  it  is 
dark." 

She  opened  the  door  gently  and  stood  in  the  light 
for  a  second.  He  saw  before  him  a  graceful  figure 
in  trailing  white,  and  then  he  saw  her  face.  She 
was  Miss  Guggenslocker ! 

"  My  God !  "  he  hoarsely  gasped,  staggering  to 
ward  her.  "You!  You!  The  Princess?" 

"  Yes,  I  am  the  Princess,  she  whispered,  smiling 
as  she  glided  away  from  his  side.  His  eyes  went 


"I'M  SORRY  You  ARE  THE  PRINCESS.' 


YETIVE  145 

round  in  his  head,  his  legs  seemed  to  be  anywhere 
but  beneath  him,  he  felt  as  though  he  were  rushing 
toward  the  ceiling.  For  the  moment  he  was  actually 
unconscious.  Then  his  senses  rushed  back,  recalling 
his  mission  and  his  danger. 

"  She  is  sleeping  so  soundly  that  I  fear  to  awaken 
her,"  whispered  a  soft  voice  at  his  back,  and  he 
turned.  The  Princess  was  standing  in  the  door 
way. 

"  Then  pray  stand  back  where  you  will  be  out  of 
danger.  They  will  be  here  in  a  moment,  unless  they 
have  been  frightened  away." 

"  You  shall  not  expose  yourself,"  she  said,  posi 
tively.  "  Why  should  you  risk  your  life  now?  You 
have  accomplished  your  object.  You  have  saved 
the  Princess !  " 

"  Ah — yes,  the  Princess  !  "  he  said.  "  And  I  am 
sorry  you  are  the  Princess,"  he  added,  in  her  ear. 

"  Sh  !  "  she  whispered,  softly. 

The  door  through  which  he  had  first  come  was 
softly  opened,  and  they  were  conscious  that  some 
one  was  entering.  Lorry  and  the  Princess  stood  in 
the  dark  shadow  of  a  curtain,  she  close  behind  his 
stalwart  figure.  He  could  hear  his  own  heart  and 
hers  beating,  could  feel  the  warmth  of  her  body, 
although  it  did  not  touch  his.  His  heart  beat  with 
the  pride  of  possession,  of  power,  with  the  knowl 
edge  that  he  had  but  to  stretch  out  his  hand  and 
touch  the  one  woman  in  all  the  world. 

Across  the  dim  belt  of  light  from  the  open  door 
way  in  which  they  stood,  crawled  the  dark  figure 


146  GRAUSTARK 

of  a  man.  Her  hand  unconsciously  touched  his 
back  as  if  seeking  reassurance.  He  shivered  be 
neath  its  gentle  weight.  Another  form  followed 
the  first,  pausing  in  the  light  to  look  toward  their 
doorway.  The  abductor  was  doubtless  remember 
ing  the  instructions  to  chloroform  the  Countess. 
Then  came  the  odor  of  chloroform.  Oh,  if  An 
guish  were  only  there ! 

The  second  figure  was  lost  in  the  darkness  and  a 
faint  glow  of  light  came  from  the  canopied  bed  in 
the  corner.  The  chloroformer,  holding  the  curtains, 
had  turned  his  screen-lantern  toward  the  pillow  in 
order  to  apply  the  dampened  cloth.  Now  was  the 
time  to  act ! 

Pushing  the  Princess  behind  the  curtain  and  in 
the  shelter  of  the  door-post,  Lorry  leaped  toward 
the  center  of  the  room,  a  pistol  in  each  hand.  Be 
fore  him  crouched  the  astonished  desperadoes. 

"  If  you  move  you  are  dead  men !  "  said  he,  in 
slow,  decided  tones.  "  Here,  Harry !  "  he  shouted. 
"  Scoundrels,  you  are  trapped !  Throw  up  your 
hands ! " 

Suddenly  the  room  was  a  blaze  of  light;  flashing 
candles,  lamps,  sprung  into  life  from  the  walls, 
while  a  great  chandelier  above  his  head  dazzled  him 
with  its  unexpected  glare. 

"  Hell !  "  he  shouted,  half  throwing  his  hands  to  his 
eyes. 

Something  rushed  upon  him  from  behind;  there 
was  a  scream  and  then  a  stinging  blow  across  the 


YETIVE  147 

head  and  neck.     As  he  sank  helplessly,  angrily,  to 
his  knees  he  heard  the  Princess  wail  : 

"  Dannox !    Do  not  strike  again !    You  have  killed  • 
him!" 

As  he  rolled  to  the  floor  he  saw  the  two  forms 
near  the  bed  moving  about  like  shadows ;  two  red 
objects  that  resembled  dancing  telegraph  poles 
leaped  past  him  from  he  knew  not  where,  and  then 
there  was  a  shout,  the  report  of  a  pistol,  a  horrid 
yell.  Something  heavy  crashed  down  beside  him 
and  writhed.  His  eyes  were  closing,  his  senses  were 
going,  he  was  numb  and  sleepy.  Away  off  in  the 
distance  he  hear  Harry  Anguish  crying: 

"  That  settles  you,  damn  you !  " 

Some  one  lifted  his  head  from  the  carpet  and  a 
woman's  voice  was  crying  something  unintelligible. 
He  was  conscious  of  an  effort  on  his  part  to  pre 
vent  the  blood  from  streaming  over  her  gown — a 
last  bit  of  gallantry.  The  sound  of  rushing  feet, 
shouts,  firearms — oblivion ! 

When  Lorry  regained  consciousness  he  blinked  in 
abject  amazement.  There  was  a  dull,  whirring 
sound  in  his  ears,  and  his  eyes  had  a  glaze  over 
them  that  was  slow  in  wearing  off.  There  were 
persons  in  the  room.  He  could  see  them  moving 
about  and  could  hear  them  talking.  As  his  eyes 
tried  to  take  in  the  strange  surroundings,  a  hand 
was  lifted  from  his  forehead  and  a  soft,  dream-like 
voice  said: 


148  GRAUSTARK 

"  He  is  recovering,  Mr.  Anguish.  See,  his  eyes 
are  open !  Do  you  know  me,  Mr.  Lorry?  " 

The  unsteady  eyes  wandered  until  they  fell  upon 
the  face  near  his  pillow.  A  brighter  gleam  came 
into  them,  and  there  was  a  ray  of  returning  intelli 
gence.  He  tried  to  speak,  but  could  only  move  his 
lips.  As  he  remembered  her,  she  was  in  white,  and 
he  was  puzzled  now  to  see  her  in  a  garment  of  some 
dark  material,  suggestive  of  the  night  or  the  green 
of  a  shady  hillside.  There  was  the  odor  of  roses 
and  violets  and  carnations.  Then  he  looked  for  the 
fatal,  fearful,  glaring  chandelier.  It  was  gone. 
The  room  was  becoming  lighter  and  lighter  as  his 
eyes  grew  stronger,  but  it  was  through  a  window 
near  where  he  lay.  So  it  was  daylight !  Where 
was  he? 

"How  do  you  feel,  old  man?"  asked  a  familar 
voice.  A  man  sat  down  beside  him  on  the  couch  or 
bed,  and  a  big  hand  grasped  his  own.  Still  he  could 
not  answer. 

"  Doctor,"  cried  the  voice  near  his  head,  "  you 
really  think  it  is  not  serious  ?  " 

"  I  am  quite  sure,"  answered  the  man's  voice  from 
somewhere  out  in  the  light.  "  It  is  a  bad  cut,  and 
he  is  just  recovering  from  the  effect  of  the  ether. 
Had  the  blow  not  been  a  glancing  one  his  skull 
would  have  been  crushed.  He  will  be  perfectly  con 
scious  in  a  short  time.  There  is  no  concussion,  Your 
Highness." 

"  I  am  so  happy  to  hear  you  say  that,"  said  the 
soft  voice.  Lorry's  eyes  sought  hers  and  thanked 


YETIVE  149 

her.  A  lump  came  into  his  throat  as  he  looked  up 
into  the  tender,  anxious  blue  eyes.  A  thrill  came 
over  him.  Princess  or  not,  he  loved  her — he  loved 
her !  "  You  were  very  brave — oh,  so  brave !  "  she 
whispered  in  his  ear,  her  hand  touching  his  hair 
caressingly.  "  My  American !" 

He  tried  to  reach  the  hand  before  it  faded,  but 
he  was  too  weak.  She  glided  away,  and  he  closed 
his  eyes  again  as  if  in  pain. 

"  Look  up,  old  man ;  you're  all  right,"  said  An 
guish.  "  Smell  this  handkerchief.  It  will  make  you 
feel  better."  A  moist  cloth  was  held  beneath  his 
nose,  and  a  strong,  pungent  odor  darted  through 
his  nostrils.  In  a  moment  he  tried  to  raise  himself 
to  his  elbow.  The  world  was  clearing  up. 

"  Lie  still  a  bit,  Lorry.  Don't  be  too  hasty.  The 
doctor  says  you  must  not." 

"  Where  am  I,  Harry?  "  asked  the  wounded  man, 
weakly. 

"  In  the  castle.  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  pres 
ently." 

"  Am  I  in  her  room?  " 

"  No,  but  she  is  in  yours.  You  are  across  the  hall 
in  " — here  he  whispered — **  Uncle  Caspar's  room. 
Caspar  is  a  count." 

"  And  she  is  the  Princess — truly?  " 

"  What  luck !  " 

"  What  misery — what  misery !  "  half  moaned  the 
other. 

"  Bosh !  Be  a  man !  Don't  talk  so  loud,  either ! 
There  are  a  half-dozen  in  the  room." 


150  GRAUSTARK 

Lorry  remained  perfectly  quiet  for  ten  minutes, 
his  staring  eyes  fixed  on  the  ceiling.  He  was  think 
ing  of  the  abyss  he  had  reached  and  could  not 
cross. 

"  What  time  is  it?  "  he  asked  at  last,  turning  his 
eyes  toward  his  friend. 

"  It's  just  seven  o'clock.  You  have  been  uncon 
scious  or  under  the  influence  of  ether  for  over  four 
hours.  That  guard  hit  you  a  fearful  crack." 

"  I  heard  a  shot — a  lot  of  them.  Was  any  one 
killed?  Did  those  fellows  escape?  " 

"  Killed !  There  have  been  eight  executions  be 
sides  the  one  I  attended  to.  Lord,  they  don't  wait 
long  here  before  handing  o/ut  justice." 

"  Tell  me  all  that  happened.     Was  she  hurt?  " 

"  I  should  say  not !  Say,  Grcn,  I  have  killed  a 
man.  Dannox  got  my  bullet  right  in  the  head  and 
he  never  knew  what  hit  him.  Ghastly,  isn't  it?  I 
feel  beastly  queer.  It  was  he  who  turned  on  the 
lights  and  went  at  you  with  a  club.  I  heard  you 
call,  and  was  in  the  door  just  as  he  hit  you.  His 
finish  came  inside  of  a  second.  You  and  he  spoiled 
the  handsomest  rug  I  ever  saw." 

"Ruined  it?" 

"  Not  in  her  estimation.  I'll  wager  she  has  it 
framed,  blood  and  all.  The  stains  will  always  be 
there  as  a  reminder  of  your  bravery,  and  that's  what 
she  says  she's  bound  to  keep.  She  was  very  much 
excited  and  alarmed  about  you  until  the  room  filled 
with  men  and  then  she  remembered  how  she  was 
attired.  I  never  saw  anything  so  pretty  as  her  em- 


YETIVE  151 

barrassmcnt  when  the  Countess  and  her  aunt  led 
her  into  the  next  room.  These  people  are  going  out, 
so  I'll  tell  you  what  happened  after  you  left  me  with 
the  cook.  He  was  a  long  time  falling  under  the  in 
fluence,  and  I  had  barely  reached  the  top  of  the 
stairs  when  I  saw  Dannox  rush  down  the  hall.  Then 
you  called,  and  I  knew  the  jig  was  on  in  full  blast. 
The  door  was  open,  and  I  saw  him  strike  you.  I 
shot  him,  but  she  was  at  your  side  before  I  could 
get  to  you.  The  other  fellows  who  were  in  the 
room  succeeded  in  escaping  while  I  was  bending 
over  you,  but  neither  of  them  shot  at  me.  They 
were  too  badly  frightened.  I  had  sense  enough  left 
to  follow  and  shoot  a  couple  of  times  as  they  tore 
down  the  stairs.  One  of  them  stumbled  and  rolled 
all  the  way  to  the  bottom.  He  was  unconscious  and 
bleeding  when  I  reached  his  side.  The  other  fel 
low  flew  toward  the  dining  hall,  where  he  was 
nabbed  by  two  white-uniformed  men  and  throttled. 
Other  men  in  white — they  were  regular  police  of 
ficers — pounced  upon  me,  and  I  was  a  prisoner.  By 
George,  I  was  knocked  off  my  feet  the  next  minute 
to  see  old  Dangloss  himself  come  puffing  and  blow 
ing  into  the  hall,  redder  and  fiercer  than  ever. 
'  Now  I  know  what  you  want  in  Edelweiss ! '  he 
shrieked,  and  it  took  me  three  minutes  to  convince  him 
of  his  error.  Then  he  and  some  of  the  men  went  up  to 
the  Princess's  room,  while  I  quickly  led  the  way  to 
the  big  gate  and  directed  a  half-dozen  officers  to 
ward  the  ravine.  By  this  time  the  grounds  were 
alive  with  guards.  They  came  up  finally  with  the 


152  GRAUSTARK 

two  fellows  who  had  been  stationed  beneath  the 
window  and  who  were  unable  to  find  the  gate.  When 
I  got  back  to  where  you  were  the  room  was  full  of 
terrified  men  and  women,  half  dressed.  I  was  still 
dazed  over  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  police,  but 
managed  to  tell  my  story  in  full  to  Dangloss  and 
Count  Halfont — that's  Uncle  Caspar — and  then  the 
chief  told  me  how  he  and  his  men  happened  to  be 
there.  In  the  meantime,  the  castle  physician  was 
attending  to  you.  Dannox  had  been  carried  away.  I 
never  talked  to  a  more  interested  audience  in  my 
life !  There  was  the  Princess  at  my  elbow  and  the 
Countess — pretty  as  a  picture — back  of  her,  all  eyes, 
both  of  'em ;  and  there  was  the  old  gray-haired  lady, 
the  Countess  Halfont,  and  a  half-dozen  shivering 
maids,  with  men  galore,  Dangloss  and  the  Count  and 
a  lot  of  servants, — a  great  and  increasing  crowd. 
The  captain  of  the  guards,  a  young  fellow  named 
Quinnox,  as  I  heard  him  called,  came  in,  worried 
and  humiliated.  I  fancy  he  was  afraid  he'd  lose  his 
job.  You  see,  it  was  this  way:  Old  Dangloss  has 
had  a  man  watching  us  all  day.  Think  of  it !  Shad 
owing  us  like  a  couple  of  thieves.  This  fellow  traced 
us  to  the  castle  gate  and  then  ran  back  for  reinforce 
ments,  confident  that  we  were  there  to  rob.  In  twenty 
minutes  he  had  a  squad  of  officers  at  the  gate,  the 
chief  trailing  along  behind.  They  found  the  pile 
of  tools  we  had  left  there,  and  later  the  other  chap 
in  the  arbor.  A  couple  of  guards  came  charging  up 
to  learn  the  cause  of  the  commotion,  and  the  whole 
crew  sailed  into  the  castle,  arriving  just  in  time. 


YETIVE  153 

Well,  just  as  soon  as  I  had  told  them  the  full  story 
of  the  plot,  old  Caspar,  the  chief  and  the  captain 
held  a  short  consultation,  the  result  of  which  I  can 
tell  in  mighty  few  words.  At  six  o'clock  they  took 
the  whole  gang  of  prisoners  down  in  the  ravine  and 
shot  them.  The  mounted  guards  are  still  looking 
for  the  two  Viennese  who  were  left  with  the  car 
riage.  They  escaped.  About  an  hour  after  you 
were  hurt  you  were  carried  over  here  and  laid  on 
this  couch.  I  want  to  tell  you,  Mr.  Lorry,  you  are 
the  most  interesting  object  that  ever  found  its  way 
into  a  royal  household.  They  have  been  hanging 
over  you  as  if  you  were  a  new-born  baby,  and 
everybody's  charmed  because  you  are  a  boy  and  are 
going  to  live.  As  an  adventure,  this  has  been  a 
record-breaker,  my  son!  We  are  cocks  of  the 
walk !  " 

Lorry  was  smiling  faintly  over  his  enthusiasm. 
"  You  are  the  real  hero,  Harry.     You  saved  my 
life,  and  probably  hers.     I'll  not  allow  you  or  any 
body  to  give  me  the  glory,"  he  said,  pressing  the 
other's  hand. 

"  Oh,  that's  nonsense !  Anybody  could  have 
rushed  in  as  I  did.  I  was  only  capping  the  climax 
you  had  prepared — merely  a  timely  arrival,  as  the 
novels  say.  There  is  a  little  of  the  credit  due  me, 
of  course,  and  I'll  take  it  gracefully,  but  I  only 
come  in  as  an  accessory,  a  sort  of  bushwhacker  who 
had  only  to  do  the  shoot,  slap-bang  work  and  close 
the  act.  You  did  the  hero's  work.  But  what  do 


154  GRAUSTARK 

you  think  of  the  way  they  hand  out  justice  over 
here?  All  but  two  of  'em  dead! " 

"Whose  plan  was  it  to  kill  those  men?"  cried 
Lorry,  suddenly  sitting  upright. 

"  Everybody's,  I  fancy.  They  didn't  consult  me, 
though,  come  to  think  of  it.  Ah,  here  is  Her  Royal 
Higness !  " 

The  Princess  and  Aunt  Yvonne  were  at  his  side 
again,  while  Count  Caspar  was  coming  rapidly  to 
ward  them. 

"  You  must  not  sit  up,  Mr.  Lorry,"  began  the 
Princess,  but  he  was  crying: 

"Did  they  make  a  confession,  Harry?" 

"  I  don't  know.  Did  they,  Unc — Count  Halfont? 
Did  they  confess?  Great  heavens,  I  never  thought 
of  that  before." 

"What  was  there  to  confess?"  asked  the  Count, 
taking  Lorry's  hand,  kindly.  "  They  were  caught 
in  the  act.  My  dear  sir,  they  were  not  even  tried." 

"  I  thought  your  police  chief  was  such  a  shrewd 
man,"  cried  Lorry,  angrily. 

"What's  that?"  asked  a  gruff  voice,  and  Baron 
Dangloss  was  a  member  of  the  party,  red  and  pant 
ing. 

"  Don't  you  know  you  should  not  have  killed  those 
men  ?  "  demanded  Lorry.  They  surveyed  him  in 
amazement,  except  Anguish,  who  had  buried  his 
face  in  his  hands  dejectedly. 

"And,  sir,  I'd  like  to  know  why  not?  "  blustered 
Dangloss. 

"  And  sir,  I'd  like  to  know,  since  you  have  shot 


YETIVE  155 

the  only  beings  on  earth  who  knew  the  man  that 
hired  them,  how  in  the  name  of  your  alleged  justice 
are  you  going  to  apprehend  him?  "  said  Lorry,  sink 
ing  back  on  his  pillow,  exhausted. 

No  reserve  could  hide  the  consternation,  embar 
rassment  and  shame  that  overwhelmed  a  very  worthy 
but  very  impetuous  nobleman,  Baron  Jasto  Dan- 
gloss,  chief  of  the  police  of  Edelweiss.  He  could 
only  sputter  his  excuses  and  withdraw,  swearing  to 
catch  the  arch-conspirator  or  die  in  the  attempt. 
Not  a  soul  in  the  castle,  not  a  being  in  all  Graustark 
could  offer  the  faintest  clew  to  the  identity  of  the 
man  or  explain  his  motive.  No  one  knew  a  Michael, 
who  might  have  been  inadvertently  addressed  as 
"  your  "  possible  "  Highness."  The  greatest  won 
der  reigned;  vexation,  uneasiness  and  perplexity  ex 
isted  everywhere. 

Standing  there  with  her  head  on  her  aunt's  shoul 
der,  her  face  grave  and  troubled,  the  Princess  asked : 

"Why  should  they  seek  to  abduct  me?  Was  it 
to  imprison  or  to  kill  me?  Oh,  Aunt  Yvonne,  have 
I  not  been  good  to  my  people?  God  knows  I  have 
done  all  that  I  can.  I  could  have  done  no  more.  Is 
it  a  conspiracy  to  force  me  from  the  throne?  Who 
can  be  so  cruel?  " 

And  no  one  could  answer.  They  could  simply 
offer  words  of  comfort  and  promises  of  protection. 
Later  in  the  day  gruff  Dangloss  marched  in  and 
apologized  to  the  Americans  for  his  suspicions  con 
cerning  them,  imploring  their  assistance  in  running 
down  the  chief  villain.  And  as  the  hours  went  by 


156  GRAUSTARK 

Count  Halfont  came  in  and,  sitting  beside  Grenfall, 
begged  his  pardon  and  asked  him  to  forget  the  de 
ception  that  had  been  practiced  in  the  United  States. 
He  explained  the  necessity  for  traveling  incognito 
at  that  time.  After  which  the  Count  entered  a  plea 
for  Her  Royal  Highness,  who  had  expressed  con 
trition  and  wished  to  be  absolved. 


XI 


LOVE    IN    A    CASTLE 

As  the  day  wore  on  Lorry  grew  irritable  and  rest 
less.  He  could  not  bring  himself  into  full  touch 
with  the  situation,  notwithstanding  Harry's  fre 
quent  and  graphic  recollections  of  incidents  that  had 
occurred  and  that  had  led  to  their  present  condition. 
Their  luncheon  was  served  in  the  Count's  room, 
as  it  was  inadvisable  for  the  injured  man  to  go  to 
the  dining  hall  until  he  was  stronger.  The  court 
physician  assured  him  that  he  would  be  incapaci 
tated  for  several  days,  but  that  in  a  very  short  time 
his  wound  would  lose  the  power  to  annoy  him  in 
the  least.  The  Count  and  Countess  Halfont,  An 
guish  and  others  came  to  cheer  him  and  to  make 
his  surroundings  endurable.  Still  he  was  dissatis 
fied,  even  unhappy. 

The  cause  of  his  uneasiness  and  depression  was 
revealed  only  by  the  manner  in  which  it  was  re 
moved.  He  was  lying  stretched  out  on  the  couch, 
staring  from  the  window,  his  head  aching,  his  heart 
full  of  a  longing  that  knows  but  one  solace.  An 
guish  had  gone  out  in  the  grounds  after  assuring 
himself  that  his  charge  was  asleep,  so  there  was  no 
one  in  the  room  when  he  awakened  from  a  sicken- 

157 


158  GRAUSTARK 

ing  dream  to  shudder  alone  over  its  memory.  A 
cool  breeze  from  an  open  window  fanned  his  head 
kindly;  a  bright  sun  gleamed  across  the  trees,  turn 
ing  them  into  gold  and  purple  and  red  and  green ;  a 
quiet  repose  was  in  all  that  touched  him  outwardly ; 
inwardly  there  was  burning  turmoil.  He  turned  on 
his  side  and  curiously  felt  the  bandages  about  his 
head.  They  were  tight  and  smooth,  and  he  knew 
they  were  perfectly  white.  How  lonely  those 
bandages  made  him  feel,  away  off  there  in  Grau- 
stark ! 

The  door  of  his  room  opened  softly,  but  he  did 
not  turn,  thinking  it  was  Anguish — always  Anguish 
— and  not  the  one  he  most  desired  to 

"  Her  Royal  Highness,"  announced  a  maid,  and 
then: 

"  May  I  come  in?  "  asked  a  voice  that  went  to  his 
troubled  soul  like  a  cooling  draught  to  the  fevered 
throat.  He  turned  toward  her  instantly,  all  the  irri 
tation,  all  the  uneasiness,  all  the  loneliness  vanishing 
like  mist  before  the  sun.  Behind  her  was  a  lady-in- 
waiting. 

"  I  cannot  deny  the  request  of  a  Princess,"  he  re 
sponded,  smiling  gaily.  He  held  forth  his  hand  to 
ward  her,  half  fearing  she  would  not  take  it. 

The  Princess  Yetive  came  straight  to  his  couch 
and  laid  her  hand  in  his.  He  drew  it  to  his  lips  and 
then  released  it  lingeringly.  She  stood  before  him, 
looking  down  with  an  anxiety  in  her  eyes  that  would 
have  repaid  him  had  death  been  there  to  claim  his 
next  breath. 


LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE  159 

"  Are  you  better?  "  she  asked,  with  her  pretty  ac 
cent.  "  I  have  been  so  troubled  about  you." 

"  I  thought  you  had  forgotten  me,"  he  said,  with 
childish  petulance. 

"  Forgotten  you !  "  she  cried,  quick  to  resent  the 
imputation.  "  Let  me  tell  you,  then,  what  I  have 
been  doing  while  forgetting.  I  have  sent  to  the 
Rcgengetz  for  your  luggae  and  your  friends. 
You  will  find  it  much  more  comfortable  here.  You 
are  to  make  this  house  your  home  as  long  as  you 
are  in  Edelweiss.  That  is  how  I  have  been  for 
getting." 

"  Forgive  me !  "  he  cried,  his  eyes  gleaming.  "  I 
have  been  so  lonely  that  I  imagined  all  sorts  of 
things.  But,  Your  Highness,  you  must  not  expect 
us  to  remain  here  after  I  am  able  to  leave.  That 
would  be  imposing " 

"  I  will  not  allow  you  to  say  it !  "  she  objected,  de 
cisively.  "  You  are  the  guest  of  honor  in  Graustark. 
Have  you  not  preserved  its  ruler?  Was  it  an  impo 
sition  to  risk  your  life  to  save  one  in  whom  you  had 
but  passing  interest,  even  though  she  were  a  poor 
Princess?  No,  My  American,  this  castle  is  yours, 
in  all  rejoicing,  for  had  you  not  come  within  its 
doors  to-day  would  have  found  it  in  mournful  ter 
ror.  Besides,  Mr.  Anguish  has  said  he  will  stay  a 
year  if  we  insist." 

"  That's  like  Harry,"  laughed  Lorry.  "  But  I  am 
afraid  you  are  glorifying  two  rattle-brained  chaps 
who  should  be  in  a  home  for  imbeciles  instead  of  in 
the  castle  their  audacity  might  have  blighted.  Our 


160  GRAUSTARK 

rashness  was  only  surpassed  by  our  phenomenal 
good  luck.  By  chance  it  turned  out  well;  there  were 
ten  thousand  chances  of  ignominious  failure.  Had 
we  failed  would  we  have  been  guests  of  honor? 
No !  We  would  have  been  stoned  from  Graustark. 
You  don't  know  how  thin  the  thread  was  that  held 
your  fate.  It  makes  me  shudder  to  think  of  the 
crime  our  act  might  have  been.  Ah,  had  I  but 
known  you  were  the  Princess,  no  chances  should 
have  been  taken,"  he  said,  fervently. 

"  And  a  romance  spoiled,"  she  laughed. 

"  So  you  are  a  Princess, — a  real  Princess,"  he 
went  on,  as  if  he  had  not  heard  her.  "  I  knew  it. 
Something  told  me  you  were  not  an  ordinary 
woman " 

*'  Oh,  but  I  am  a  very  ordinary  woman,"  she  re 
monstrated.  "  You  do  not  know  how  easy  it  is  to 
be  a  Princess  and  a  mere  woman  at  the  same  time. 
I  have  a  heart,  a  head.  I  breathe  and  eat  and  drink 
and  sleep  and  love.  Is  it  not  that  way  with  other 
women?  " 

"  You  breathe  and  eat  and  drink  and  sleep  and 
love  in  a  different  world,  though,  Your  Highness." 

"  Ach !  my  little  maid,  Theresa,  sleeps  as  soundly, 
eats  as  heartily  and  loves  as  warmly  as  I,  so  a  fig 
for  your  argument." 

"  You  may  breathe  the  same  air,  but  would  you 
love  the  same  man  that  your  maid  might  love?  " 

"  Is  a  man  the  only  excuse  for  love?  "  she  asked. 
"  If  so,  then  I  must  say  that  I  breathe  and  eat  and 
drink  and  sleep — and  that  is  all." 


"IT  is  MY  WILL!" 


LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE  161 

"  Pardon  me,  but  some  day  you  will  find  that  love 
is  a  man,  and  " — here  he  laughed — "  you  will  neither 
breathe,  nor  eat,  nor  sleep  except  with  him  in  your 
heart.  Even  a  Princess  is  not  proof  against  a 
man." 

"  Is  a  man  proof  against  a  Princess?  "  she  asked, 
as  she  leaned  against  the  casement. 

"  It  depends  on  the  " — he  paused — "  the  Princess, 
I  should  say." 

"  Alas !  There  is  one  more  fresh  responsibility 
required.  It  seems  to  me  that  everything  depends 
on  the  Princess,"  she  said,  merrily. 

"  Not  entirely,"  he  said,  quickly.  "  A  great  deal — • 
a  very  great  deal — depends  on  circumstances.  For 
instance,  when  you  were  Miss  Guggenslocker  it 
wouldn't  have  been  necessary  for  a  man  to  be  a 
Prince,  you  know." 

"  But  I  was  Miss  Guggenslocker  because  a  man 
was  unnecessary,"  she  said,  so  gravely  that  he 
smiled.  "  I  was  without  a  title  because  it  was  more 
womanly  than  to  be  a  '  freak,'  as  I  should  have  been 
had  every  man,  woman  and  child  looked  upon  me  as 
a  Princess.  I  did  not  travel  through  your  land  for 
the  purpose  of  exhibiting  myself,  but  to  learn  and 
unlearn." 

"  I  remember  it  cost  you  a  certain  coin  to  learn 
one  thing,"  he  observed. 

"  It  was  money  well  spent,  as  subsequent  events 
have  proved.  I  shall  never  regret  the  spending  of 
that  half  gawo.  Was  it  not  the  means  of  bringing 
you  to  Edelweiss  ?  " 


162  GRAUSTARK 

"  Well,  it  was  largely  responsible,  but  I  am  in 
clined  to  believe  that  a  certain  desire  on  my  part 
would  have  found  a  way  without  the  assistance  of 
the  coin.  You  don't  know  how  persistent  an  Ameri 
can  can  be." 

"  Would  you  have  persisted  had  you  known  I  was 
a  Princess?  "  she  asked. 

"  Well,  I  can  hardly  tell  about  that,  but  you 
must  remember  I  didn't  know  who  or  what  you 
were." 

"  Would  you  have  come  to  Graustark  had  you 
known  I  was  its  Princess  ?  " 

"  I'll  admit  I  came  because  you  were  Miss  Guggen- 
slocker." 

"  A  mere  woman." 

"  I  will  not  consent  to  the  word  *  mere.'  What 
would  you  think  of  a  man  who  came  half-way  across 
the  earth  for  the  sake  of  a  mere  woman?  " 

"  I  should  say  he  had  a  great  deal  of  curiosity," 
she  responded,  coolly. 

"  And  not  much  sense.  There  is  but  one  woman 
a  man  would  do  so  much  for,  and  she  could  not  be 
a  mere  woman  in  his  eyes."  Lorry's  face  was  white 
and  his  eyes  gleamed  as  he  hurled  this  bold  conclu 
sion  at  her. 

"  Especially  when  he  learns  that  she  is  a  Princess !  " 
said  she,  her  voice  so  cold  and  repellent  that  his 
eyes  closed  involuntarily,  as  if  an  unexpected  hor 
ror  had  come  before  them.  "  You  must  not  tell  me 
that  you  came  to  see  me." 

"  But  I  did  come  to  see  you  and  not  Her  Royal 


LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE  163 

Highness  the  Princess  Yetive  of  Graustark.  How 
was  I  to  know?  "  he  cried,  impulsively. 

'"  But  you  are  no  longer  ignorant,"  she  said,  look 
ing  from  the  window. 

"  I  thought  you  said  you  were  a  mere  woman !  " 

"  I  am — and  that  is  the  trouble !  "  she  said,  slowly 
turning  her  eyes  back  to  him.  Then  she  abruptly 
sank  to  the  window  seat  near  his  head.  "  That  is 
the  trouble,  I  say.  A  woman  is  a  woman,  although 
she  be  a  Princess.  Don't  you  understand  why  you 
must  not  say  such  things  to  me?  " 

"  Because  you  are  a  Princess,"  he  said,  bitterly. 

"  No ;  because  I  am  a  woman.  As  a  woman,  I 
want  to  hear  them,  as  a  Princess  I  cannot.  Now, 
have  I  made  you  understand?  Have  I  been  bold 
enough?  "  Her  face  was  burning. 

"  You — you  don't  mean  that  you "  he  half 

whispered,  drawing  himself  toward  her,  his  face 
glowing. 

"  Ach !    What  have  I  said  ?  " 

"  You  have  said  enough  to  drive  me  mad  with  de 
sire  for  more,"  he  cried,  seizing  her  hand,  which  she 
withdrew  instantly,  rising  to  her  feet. 

"  I  have  only  said  that  I  wanted  to  hear  you  say 
you  had  come  to  see  me.  Is  not  that  something  for 
a  woman's  vanity  to  value?  I  am  sorry  you  have 
presumed  to  misunderstand  me? "  She  was  cold 
again,  but  he  was  not  to  be  baffled. 

"  Then  be  a  woman  and  forget  that  you  are  a 
Princess  until  I  tell  you  why  I  came,"  he  cried. 

"  I  cannot.     I  mean,  I  will  not  listen  to  you,"  she 


164  GRAUSTARK 

said,  glancing  about  helplessly,  yet  standing  still 
within  the  danger  circle. 

"  I  came  because  I  have  thought  of  you  and 
dreamed  of  you  since  the  day  you  sailed  from  New 
York.  God,  can  I  ever  forget  that  day !  " 

"  Please  do  not  recall "  she  began,  blushing 

and  turning  to  the  window. 

"  The  kiss  you  threw  to  me?  Were  you  a  Princess 
then?"  She  did  not  answer,  and  he  paused  for  a 
moment,  a  thought  striking  him  which  at  first  he 
did  not  dare  to  voice.  Then  he  blurted  out :  "  If 
you  do  not  want  to  hear  me  say  these  things,  why 
do  you  stand  there?  " 

"  Oh,"  she  faltered. 

"  Don't  leave  me  now.  I  want  to  say  what  I  came 
over  here  to  say,  and  then  you  can  go  back  to  your 
throne  and  your  royal  reserve,  and  I  can  go  back 
to  the  land  from  which  you  drew  me.  I  came  be 
cause  I  love  you.  Is  not  that  enough  to  drag  a  man 
to  the  end  of  the  world?  I  came  to  marry  you  if  I 
could,  for  you  were  Miss  Guggenslocker  to  me. 
Then  you  were  within  my  reach,  but  not  now !  I 
can  only  love  a  Princess !  "  He  stopped  because  she 
had  dropped  to  the  couch  beside  him,  her  serious 
face  turned  appealingly  to  his,  her  fingers  clasping 
his  hands  fiercely. 

"  I  forbid  you  to  continue — I  forbid  you !  Do 
you  hear?  I,  too,  have  thought  and  dreamed  of 
you,  and  I  have  prayed  that  you  might  come.  But 
you  must  not  tell  me  that  you  love  me — you  shall 
not!" 


LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE  165 

"  I  only  want  to  know  that  you  love  me,"  he  whis 
pered. 

"  Do  you  think  I  can  tell  you  the  truth?  "  she  cried. 
"  I  do  not  love  you !  " 

Before  he  had  fairly  grasped  the  importance  of 
the  contradictory  sentences,  she  left  his  side  and 
stood  in  the  window,  her  breast  heaving  and  her 
face  flaming. 

"  Then  I  am  to  believe  you  do,"  he  groaned,  after 
a  moment.  "  I  find  a  Princess  and  lose  a  woman !  " 

"  I  did  not  intend  that  you  should  have  said  what 
you  have,  or  that  I  should  have  told  you  what  I 
have.  I  knew  you  loved  me  or  you  would  not  have 
come  to  me,"  she  said,  softly. 

"  You  would  have  been  selfish  enough  to  enjoy 
that  knowledge  without  giving  joy  in  return.  I  see. 
What  else  could  you  have  done?  A  Princess!  Oh, 
I  would  to  God  you  were  Miss  Guggenslocker,  the 
woman  I  sought !  " 

"  Amen  to  that !  "  she  said.  "  Can  I  trust  you  never 
to  renew  this  subject?  We  have  each  learned  what 
had  better  been  left  unknown.  You  understand  my 
position.  Surely  you  will  be  good  enough  to  look 
upon  me  ever  afterward  as  a  Princess  and  forget 
that  I  have  been  a  woman  unwittingly.  I  ask  you, 
for  your  sake  and  my  own,  to  refrain  from  a  re 
newal  of  this  unhappy  subject.  You  can  see  how 
hopeless  it  is  for  both  of  us.  I  have  said  much  to 
you  that  I  trust  you  will  cherish  as  coming  from  a 
woman  who  could  not  have  helped  herself  and  who 


166  GRAUSTARK 

has  given  you  the  power  to  undo  her  with  a  single 
word.  I  know  you  will  always  be  the  brave,  true 
man  my  heart  has  told  me  you  are.  You  will  let  the 
beginning  be  the  end?  " 

The  appeal  was  so  earnest,  so  noble  that  honor 
swelled  in  his  heart  and  came  from  his  lips  in  this 
promise: 

"  You  may  trust  me,  Your  Highness.  Your  secret 
is  worth  a  thousand-fold  more  than  mine.  It  is  sacred 
with  me.  The  joy  of  my  life  has  ended,  but  the 
happiness  of  knowing  the  truth  will  never  die.  I 
shall  remember  that  you  love  me — yes,  I  know  you 
do, — and  I  shall  never  forget  to  love  you.  I  will 
not  promise  that  I  shall  never  speak  of  it  again  to 
you.  As  I  lie  here,  there  comes  to  me  a  courage  I 
did  not  know  I  could  feel." 

"  No,  no !  "  she  cried,  vehemently. 

"  Forgive  me !  You  can  at  least  let  me  say  that  as 
long  as  I  live  I  may  cherish  and  encourage  a  little 
hope  that  all  is  not  dead.  Your  Highness,  let  me 
say  that  my  family  never  knows  when  it  is  defeated, 
either  in  love  or  in  war." 

"  The  walls  which  surround  the  heart  of  a  Prin 
cess  are  black  and  grim,  impenetrable  when  she  de 
fends  it,  my  boasting  American,"  she  said,  smiling 
sadly. 

"  Yet  some  Prince  of  the  realm  will  batter  down 
the  wall  and  win  at  a  single  blow  that  which  a  mere 
man  could  not  conquer  in  ten  lifetimes.  Such  is  the 
world." 

*'  The  Prince  may  batter  down  and  seize,  but  he 


LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE  167 

Lorry,  and  there  is  only  a  dear  friendship  between 
us,"  she  cried,  resuming  her  merry  humor  so  easily 
that  he  started  with  surprise  and  not  a  little  dis 
pleasure. 

"  And  a  throne,"  he  added,  smiling,  however. 

"  And  a  promise,"  she  reminded  him. 

"  From  which  I  trust  I  may  some  day  be  re 
leased,"  said  he,  sinking  back,  afflicted  with  a  dis 
couragement  and  a  determination  of  equal  power. 
He  could  see  hope  and  hopelessness  ahead. 

"  By  death !  " 

"  No ;  by  life !    It  may  be  sooner  than  you  think !  " 

"  You  are  forgetting  your  promise  already." 

"  Your  highness's  pardon,"  he  begged. 

They  laughed,  but  their  hearts  were  sad,  this 
luckless  American  and  hapless  sovereign  who  would, 
if  she  could,  be  a  woman. 

"  It  is  now  three  o'clock — the  hour  when  you  were 
to  have  called  to  see  me,"  she  said,  again  sitting  un 
concernedly  before  him  in  the  window  seat.  She 
was  not  afraid  of  him.  She  was  a  Princess. 

"  I  misunderstood  you,  Your  Highness.  I  re 
membered  the  engagement,  but  it  seems  I  was  mis 
taken  as  to  the  time.  I  came  at  three  in  the  morn- 
ing!" 

"  And  found  me  at  home !  " 

"  In  an  impregnable  castle,  with  ogres  all  about." 


XII 

'A  WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES 

Lorry  was  removed  to  another  room  before  din 
ner,  as  she  had  promised. 

After  they  had  dined  the  two  strangers  were  left 
alone  for  several  hours.  Anguish  regaled  his  friend 
with  an  enthusiastic  dissertation  on  the  charms  of 
the  Countess  Dagmar,  lady-in-waiting  to  the  Prin 
cess.  In  conclusion  he  said  glowingly,  his  cigar  having 
been  out  for  half  an  hour  or  more  because  his  energy 
had  been  spent  in  another  direction : 

"  You  haven't  seen  much  of  her,  Lorry,  but  I  tell 
you  she  is  rare.  And  she's  not  betrothed  to  any  of 
these  confounded  Counts  or  Dukes  either.  They  all 
adore  her,  but  she's  not  committed." 

"  How  do  you  know  all  this  ?  "  demanded  Lorry, 
who  but  half  heard  through  his  dreams. 

"  Asked  her,  of  course.  How  in  thunder  do  you 
suppose  ?  " 

"And  you've  known  her  but  a  day?  Well,  you 
are  progressive." 

"  Oh,  perfectly  natural  conversation,  you  know," 
explained  Anguish,  composedly.  "  She  began  it  by 
asking  me  if  I  were  married,  and  I  said  I  wasn't 

168 


A  WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES    169 

even  engaged.  Then  I  asked  her  if  she  were  mar 
ried.  You  see,  from  the  title,  you  can't  tell  whether 
a  Countess  is  married  or  single.  She  said  she  wasn't, 
and  I  promptly  and  very  properly  expressed  my 
amazement.  By  Jove,  she  has  a  will  and  a  mind  of 
her  own,  that  young  woman  has.  She's  not  going 
to  marry  until  she  finds  a  man  of  the  right  sort — 
which  is  refreshing.  I  like  to  hear  a  girl  talk  like 
that,  especially  a  pretty  girl  who  can  deal  in  Princes, 
Counts  and  all  kinds  of  nobility  when  it  comes  to 
a  matrimonial  trade.  By  Jove,  I'm  sorry  for  the 
Princess,  though." 

"  Sorry  for  the  Princess?  Why?  "  asked  the  other, 
alert  at  once. 

"  Oh,  just  because  it's  not  in  her  power  to  be  so 
independent.  The  Countess  says  she  cries  every 
night  when  she  thinks  of  what  the  poor  girl  has  to 
contend  with." 

"  Tell  me  about  it." 

"  I  don't  know  anything  to  tell.  I'm  not  inter 
ested  in  the  Princess,  and  I  didn't  have  the  nerve  to 
ask  many  questions.  I  do  know,  however,  that  she 
is  going  to  have  an  unpleasant  matrimonial  alliance 
forced  upon  her  in  some  way." 

"  That  is  usual." 

"  That's  what  I  gather  from  the  Countess.  Maybe 
you  can  pump  the  Countess  and  get  all  you  want  to 
know  in  connection  with  the  matter.  It's  a  pretty 
serious  state  of  affairs,  I  should  say,  or  she  wouldn't 
be  weeping  through  sympathy." 

Lorry  recalled  a  part  of  the  afternoon's  sweetly 


170  GRAUSTARK 

dangerous  conversation  and  the  perspiration  stood 
cold  and  damp  on  his  brow. 

"  Well,  old  man,  you've  chased  Miss  Guggcn- 
slocker  to  earth  only  to  find  her  an  impossibility. 
Pretty  hopeless  for  you,  Lorry,  but  don't  let  it 
break  you  up  completely.  We  can  go  back  home 
after  a  while  and  you  will  forget  her.  A  Countess, 
of  course,  is  different." 

"  Harry,  I  know  it  is  downright  madness  for  me 
to  act  like  this,"  said  Lorry,  his  jaws  set  and  his 
hands  clinched  as  he  raised  himself  to  his  elbow. 
"  You  don't  know  how  much  I  love  her." 

"  Your  nerve  is  to  be  admired,  but — well,  I'm  sorry 
for  you." 

"  Thanks  for  your  sympathy.  I  suppose  I'll  need 
it,"  and  he  sank  back  gloomily.  Anguish  was  right 
— absurdly  right. 

There  was  a  rap  at  the  door  and  Anguish  has 
tened  to  open  it.  A  servant  presented  Count  Hal- 
font's  compliments  and  begged  leave  to  call. 

"  Shall  we  see  the  old  boy?  "  asked  Harry. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  responded  the  other.  The  servant 
understood  the  sign  made  by  Anguish  and  disap 
peared.  "  Diplomatic  call,  I  suspect." 

"  He  is  the  Prime  Minister,  I  understand.  Well, 
we'll  diplome  with  him  until  bedtime,  if  he  cares  to 
stay.  I'm  getting  rather  accustomed  to  the  nobility. 
They  are  not  so  bad,  after  all.  Friendly  and  all 

that Ah,  good-evening,  Your  Excellency!  We 

are  honored." 

The  Count   had   entered   the   room   and   was   ad- 


A  WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES     171 

vancing  toward  the  couch,  tall,  easy  and  the  per 
sonification  of  cordiality. 

"  I  could  not  retire  until  I  had  satisfied  myself  as 
to  Mr.  Lorry's  condition  and  his  comfort,"  said  he, 
in  his  broken  English.  He  seated  himself  near  the 
couch  and  bent  sharp,  anxious  eyes  on  the  recum 
bent  figure. 

"  Oh,  he's  all  right,"  volunteered  Anguish,  readily. 
"  Be  able  to  go  into  a  battle  again  to-morrow." 

"  That  is  the  way  with  you  aggressive  Americans, 
I  am  told.  They  never  give  up  until  they  are  dead," 
said  the  Count,  courteously.  "  Your  head  is  bet 
ter?  " 

"  It  does  not  pain  me  as  it  did,  and  I'm  sure  I'll 
be  able  to  get  out  to-morrow.  Thank  you  very 
much  for  your  interest,"  said  Lorry.  "  May  I  in 
quire  after  the  health  of  the  Countess  Halfont? 
The  excitement  of  last  night  has  not  had  an  un 
pleasant  effect,  I  hope." 

"  She  is  with  the  Princess,  and  both  are  quite  well. 
Since  our  war,  gentlemen,  Graustark  women  have 
nothing  to  acquire  in  the  way  of  courage  and  en 
durance.  You,  of  course,  know  nothing  of  the  hor 
rors  of  that  war." 

"  But  we  would  be  thankful  for  the  story  of  it, 
Your  Excellency.  War  is  a  hobby  of  mine.  I  read 
every  war  scare  that  gets  into  print,"  said  Anguish, 
eagerly. 

"  We,  of  Graustark,  at  present  have  every  reason 
to  recall  the  last  war  and  bitterly  to  lament  its  end 
ing.  The  war  occurred  just  fifteen  years  ago — but 


172  GRAUSTARK 

will  the  recital  tire  you,  Mr.  Lorry?  I  came  to 
spend  a  few  moments  socially  and  not  to  go  into 
history.  At  any  other  time  I  shall  be " 

"  It  will  please  and  not  tire  me.  I  am  deeply  in 
terested.  Pray  go  on,"  Lorry  hastened  to  say,  for 
he  was  interested  more  than  the  Count  suspected. 

"  Fifteen  years  ago  Prince  Ganlook,  of  this  princi 
pality, — the    father    of    our    Princess, — became   in 
censed   over  the  depredations   of  the  Axphain   sol 
diers  who  patrolled  our  border  on  the  north.     He 
demanded  restitution  for  the  devastation  they  had 
created,  but  was  refused.     Graustark  is  a  province 
comprising  some  eight  hundred  square  miles  of  the 
best  land  in  this  part  of  the  world.     Our  neighbor  is 
smaller  in  area  and  population.     Our  army  was  bet 
ter  equipped  but  not  so  hardy.     For  several  months 
the  fighting  in  the  north  was  in  our  favor,  but  the 
result  was  that  our  forces  were  finally  driven  back 
to  Edelweiss,  hacked  and  battered  by  the  fierce  thou 
sands  that  came  over  the  border.     The  nation  was 
staggered  by  the  shock,  for  such  an  outcome  had 
not  been  considered  possible.     We  had  been  too  con- 
dent.      Our    soldiers    were    sick    and    worn    by    six 
months  of  hard  fighting,  and  the  men  of  Edelweiss 
— the  merchants,  the  laborers  and  the  nobility  it 
self — flew  to  arms  in  defense  of  the  city.     For  over 
a  month  we  fought,  hundreds  of  our  best  and  brav 
est   citizens   going   down    to   death.      They   at    last 
began  a  bombardment  of  the  city.     To-day  you  can 
see  the  marks  on  nearly  every  house  in  Edelweiss. 
Hundreds  of  graves  in  the  valley  to  the  south  attest 


A  WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES    173 

the  terrors  of  that  siege.  The  castle  was  stormed, 
and  Prince  Ganlook,  with  many  of  the  chief  men 
of  the  land,  met  death.  The  Prince  was  killed  in 
front  of  the  castle  gates,  from  which  he  had  sallied 
in  a  last  brave  attempt  to  beat  off  the  conquerors. 
A  bronze  statue  now  marks  the  spot  on  which  he 
fell.  The  Princess,  his  wife,  was  my  sister,  and  as 
I  held  the  portfolio  of  finance,  it  was  through  me 
that  the  city  surrendered,  bringing  the  siege  to  an 
end.  Fifteen  years  ago  this  autumn — the  twentieth 
of  November,  to  be  explicit — the  treaty  of  peace 
was  signed  in  Sofia.  We  were  compelled  to  cede  a 
portion  of  territory  in  the  far  northwest,  valuable 
for  its  mines.  Indemnity  was  agreed  upon  by  the 
peace  commissioners,  amounting  to  20,000,000  gav- 
vos,  or  nearly  $30,000,000  in  your  money.  In  fifteen 
years  this  money  was  to  be  paid,  with  interest.  On 
the  twentieth  of  November,  this  year,  the  people  of 
Graustark  must  pay  25,000,000  gavvos.  The  time  is 
at  hand,  and  that  is  why  we  recall  the  war  so  vividly. 
It  means  the  bankruptcy  of  the  nation,  gentlemen." 

Neither  of  his  listeners  spoke  for  some  moments. 
Then  Lorry  broke  the  silence. 

"  You  mean  that  the  money  cannot  be  raised?  "  he 
asked. 

"  It  is  not  in  our  treasury.  Our  people  have  been 
taxed  so  sorely  in  rebuilding  their  homes  and  in  re 
cuperating  from  the  effect  of  that  dreadful  invasion 
that  they  have  been  unable  to  pay  the  levies.  You 
must  remember  that  we  are  a  small  nation  and  of 
limited  resources.  Your  nation  could  secure  $30,- 


174  GRAUSTARK 

000,000  in  one  hour  for  the  mere  asking.  To  us  it 
is  like  a  death  blow.  I  am  not  betraying  a  State 
secret  in  telling  you  of  the  sore  straits  in  which  we 
are  placed,  for  every  man  in  the  nation  has  been 
made  cognizant  of  the  true  conditions.  We  are  all 
facing  it  together." 

There  was  something  so  quietly  heroic  in  his  man 
ner  that  both  men  felt  pity.  Anguish,  looking  at  the 
military  figure,  asked : 

"  You  fought  through  the  war,  Your  Excel 
lency? " 

"  I  resigned  as  Minister,  sir,  to  go  to  the  front.  I 
was  in  the  first  battle  and  I  was  in  the  last,"  he  said, 
simply. 

"  And  the  Princess, — the  present  ruler,  I  mean, — 
was  a  mere  child  at  that  time.  When  did  she  suc 
ceed  to  the  throne?  "  asked  Lorry. 

"  Oh,  the  great  world  does  not  remember  our  little 
history !  Within  a  year  after  the  death  of  Prince 
Ganlook,  his  wife,  my  sister,  passed  away,  dying  of 
a  broken  heart.  Her  daughter,  their  only  child,  was, 
according  to  our  custom,  crowned  at  once.  She  has 
reigned  for  fourteen  years,  and  wisely  since  assum 
ing  full  power.  For  three  years  she  has  been  ruler 
de  facto.  She  has  been  frugal,  and  has  done  all 
in  her  power  to  meet  the  shadow  that  is  descend- 
ing." 

"  And  what  is  the  alternative  in  case  the  indemnity 
is  not  paid?  "  asked  Lorry,  breathlessly,  for  he  saw 
something  bright  in  the  approaching  calamity. 

"  The  cession  of  all  that  part  of  Graustark  lying 


north  of  Edelweiss,  including  fourteen  towns,  all  of 
our  mines  and  our  most  productive  farming  and 
grazing  lands.  In  that  event  Graustark  will  be  no 
larger  than  one  of  the  good-sized  farms  in  your 
Western  country.  There  will  be  nothing  left  for 
Her  Royal  Highness  to  rule  save  a  tract  so  small 
that  the  word  principality  will  be  a  travesty  and  a 
jest.  This  city  and  twenty-five  miles  to  the  south, 
a  strip  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long. 
Think  of  it !  Twenty-five  by  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  and  yet  called  a  principality !  Once  the  proud 
est  and  most  prosperous  State  in  the  East,  consider 
ing  its  size,  reduced  to  that!  Ach,  gentlemen — gen 
tlemen  !  I  cannot  think  of  it  without  tearing  out  a 
heart-string  and  suffering  such  pains  as  mortal  man 
has  never  endured.  I  lived  in  Graustark's  days  of 
wealth,  power  and  supremacy ;  God  has  condemned 
me  to  live  in  the  days  of  her  dependency,  weakness 
and  poverty.  Let  us  talk  no  more  of  this  unpleas 
ant  subject." 

His  hearers  pitied  the  frank,  proud  old  man  from 
the  bottom  of  their  hearts.  He  had  told  them  the 
story  with  the  candor  and  simplicity  of  a  child,  ad 
mitting  weakness  and  despondency.  Still  he  sat 
erect  and  defiant,  his  face  white  and  drawn,  his 
figure  suggesting  the  famous  picture  of  the  stag  at 
bay. 

"  Willingly,  Your  Excellency,  since  it  is  distaste 
ful  to  you.  I  hope,  however,  you  will  permit  me  to 
ask  how  much  you  are  short  of  the  amount,"  said 
Lorry,  considerately,  yet  curiously. 


176  GRAUSTARK 

"  Our  Minister  of  Finance,  Gaspon,  will  be  able 
to  produce  fifteen  million  gavvos  at  the  stated  time 
— far  from  enough.  This  amount  has  been  sucked 
from  the  people  from  excessive  levy,  and  has  been 
hoarded  for  the  dreaded  day.  Try  as  we  would,  it 
has  been  impossible  to  raise  the  full  amount.  The 
people  have  been  bled  and  have  responded  nobly, 
sacrificing  everything  to  meet  the  treaty  terms  hon 
orably,  but  the  strain  has  been  too  great.  Our  army 
has  cost  us  large  sums.  We  have  strengthened  our 
defenses,  and  could,  should  we  go  to  war,  defeat 
Axphain.  But  we  have  our  treaty  to  honor;  we 
could  not  take  up  arms  to  save  ourselves  from  that 
honest  bond.  Our  levies  have  barely  brought  the 
amount  necessary  to  maintain  an  army  large  enough 
to  inspire  respect  among  those  who  are  ready  to 
leap  upon  us  the  instant  we  show  the  least  sign  of 
distress.  There  are  about  us  powers  that  have  held 
aloof  from  war  with  us  simply  because  we  have 
awed  them  with  our  show  of  force.  It  has  been 
our  safeguard,  and  there  is  not  a  citizen  of  Grau- 
stark  who  objects  to  the  manner  in  which  State 
affairs  are  conducted.  They  know  that  our  army  is 
an  economy  at  any  price.  Until  last  spring  we  were 
confident  that  we  could  raise  the  full  amount  due 
Axphain,  but  the  people  in  the  rural  districts  were 
unable  to  meet  the  levies  on  account  of  the  panic 
that  came  at  a  most  unfortunate  time.  That  is  why 
we  were  hurrying  home  from  your  country,  Mr. 
Lorry.  Gaspon  had  cabled  the  Princess  that  affairs 
were  in  a  hopless  condition,  begging  her  to  come 


A  WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES    177 

home  and  do  what  she  could  in  a  final  appeal  to  the 
people,  knowing  the  love  they  had  for  her.  She 
came,  and  has  seen  these  loyal  subjects  offer  their 
lives  for  her  and  for  Graustark,  but  utterly  unable 
to  give  what  they  have  not — money.  She  asked 
them  if  she  should  disband  the  army,  and  there  was 
a  negative  wail  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the 
other.  Then  the  army  agreed  to  serve  on  half  pay 
until  all  was  tided  over.  Public  officers  are  giving 
their  services  free,  and  many  of  our  wealthy  people 
have  advanced  loans  on  bonds,  worthless  as  they 
may  seem,  and  still  we  have  not  the  required  amount." 

"  Cannot  the  loan  be  extended  a  few  years  ?  "  asked 
Lorry,  angry  with  the  ruler  in  the  North,  taking  the 
woes  of  Graustark  as  much  to  heart  as  if  they  were 
his  own. 

"  Not  one  day !  Not  in  London,  Paris,  nor  Ber 
lin." 

Lorry  lay  back  and  allowed  Anguish  to  lead  the 
conversation  into  other  channels.  The  Count  re 
mained  for  half  an  hour,  saying  as  he  left  that  the 
Princess  and  his  wife  had  expressed  a  desire  to  be 
remembered  to  their  guests. 

"  Her  Royal  Highness  spent  the  evening  with  the 
Ministers  of  Finance  and  War,  and  her  poor  head, 
I  doubt  not,  is  racking  from  the  effects  of  the  con 
sultation.  These  are  weighty  matters  for  a  girl  to 
have  on  her  hands,"  solemnly  stated  the  Count,  paus 
ing  for  an  instant  at  the  door  of  the  apartment. 

After  he  had  closed  it,  the  Americans  looked  long 
and  thoughtfully  at  each  other,  each  feeling  a  re- 


178  GRAUSTARK 

spcct  for  the  grim  old  gentleman  that  they  had  never 
felt  for  man  before. 

"  So  they  are  in  a  devil  of  a  shape,"  mused  An 
guish.  "  I  tell  you,  Gren,  I  never  knew  anything 
that  made  me  feel  so  badly  as  does  the  trouble  that 
hangs  over  that  girl  and  her  people.  A  week  ago 
I  wouldn't  have  cared  a  rap  for  Graustark,  but  to 
night  I  feel  like  weeping  for  her." 

"  There  seems  to  be  no  help  for  her,  either,"  said 
Lorry,  reflectively. 

"  Graustark,  you  mean?  " 

"No — I  mean  yes,  of  course, — who  else?"  de 
manded  the  other,  who  certainly  had  not  meant 
Graustark. 

"  I  believe,  confound  your  selfish  soul,  you'd  like 
to  see  the  nation,  the  crown  and  everything  else, 
taken  away  from  this  helpless,  harassed  child.  Then 
you'd  have  a  chance,"  exclaimed  Anguish,  pacing 
the  floor,  half  angrily,  half  encouragingly^ 

"  Don't  say  that,  Harry,  don't  say  that.  Don't 
accuse  me  of  it,  for  I'll  confess  I  had  in  my  heart 
that  meanest  of  longings — the  selfish,  base,  heartless 
hope  that  you  have  guessed.  It  hurts  me  to  be  ac 
cused  of  it  though,  so  don't  do  it  again,  old  man. 
I'll  put  away  the  miserable  hope,  if  I  can,  and  I'll 
pray  God  that  she  may  find  a  way  out  of  the  diffi 
culty." 

They  went  to  sleep  that  night,  Anguish  at  once, 
Lorry  not  for  hours,  harboring  a  determination  to 
learn  more  about  the  condition  of  affairs  touching 
the  people  of  Graustark  and  the  heart  of  their 
Princess. 


XIII 

UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY 

For  two  days  Lorry  lived  through  intermittent 
stages  of  delight  and  despondency.  His  recovery 
from  the  effects  of  the  blow  administered  by  Dan- 
nox  was  naturally  rapid,  his  strong  young  constitu 
tion  coming  to  the  rescue  bravely.  He  saw  much 
of  the  Princess,  more  of  the  Countess  Dagmar,  and 
made  the  acquaintance  of  many  lords  and  ladies  for 
whom  he  cared  but  little  except  when  they  chose  to 
talk  of  their  girlish  ruler.  The  atmosphere  of  the 
castle  was  laden  with  a  depression  that  could  not 
be  overcome  by  an  assimilated  gaiety.  There  was 
the  presence  of  a  shadow  that  grew  darker  and 
nearer  as  the  days  went  by,  and  there  were  anxious 
hearts  under  the  brave,  proud  spirits  of  those  who 
held  the  destiny  of  Graustark  in  their  hands. 

The  Princess  could  not  hide  the  trouble  that  had 
sprung  up  in  her  eyes.  Her  laugh,  her  gay  conver 
sation,  her  rare  composure  and  gentle  hauteur  were 
powerless  to  drive  away  the  haunted,  worried  gleam 
in  those  expressive  eyes  of  blue.  Lorry  had  it  on 
his  tongue's  end  a  dozen  times  during  the  next  day 
or  so  after  the  Count's  narrative  to  question  her 
about  the  condition  of  affairs  as  they  appeared  to 
her.  He  wondered  whether  she,  little  more  than  a 

179 


180  GRAUSTARK 

girl,  could  see  and  understand  the  enormity  of  the 
situation  that  confronted  her  and  her  people.  A 
strange,  tender  fear  prevented  him  from  speaking 
to  her  of  the  thing  which  was  oppressing  her  life. 
Not  that  he  expected  a  rebuff  from  her,  but  that 
he  could  not  endure  the  thought  of  hearing  her 
brave,  calm  recital  of  the  merciless  story.  He  knew 
that  she  could  narrate  it  all  to  him  more  plainly  than 
had  her  uncle.  Something  told  him  that  she  was 
fully  aware  of  the  real  and  underlying  conditions. 
He  could  see,  in  his  imagination,  the  proud,  resigned 
face  and  manner  of  this  perplexed  Princess,  as  she 
would  have  talked  to  him  of  her  woes,  and  he  could 
also  picture  the  telltale  eyes  and  the  troubled  ex 
pression  that  would  not  be  disguised. 

The  Countess  Dagmar,  when  monopolized  by  the 
very  progressive,  or  aggressive,  Anguish,  unfolded 
to  Lorry  certain  pages  in  the  personal  history  of  the 
Princess,  and  he,  of  course,  encouraged  her  con 
fidential  humor,  although  there  was  nothing  encour 
aging  in  it  for  him. 

Down  by  the  great  fountain,  while  the  soldiers 
were  on  parade,  the  fair  but  volatile  Countess  un 
folded  to  Lorry  a  story  that  wrenched  his  heart  so 
savagely  that  anger,  resentment,  helplessness  and  love 
oozed  forth  and  enveloped  him  in  a  multitude  of  emo 
tions  that  would  not  disperse.  To  have  gone  to  the 
Princess  and  laid  down  his  life  to  save  her  would  have 
given  him  pleasure,  but  he  had  promised  something 
to  her  that  could  not  be  forgotten  in  a  day.  In  his 
swelling  heart  he  prayed  for  the  time  to  come  when 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY     181 

he  could  take  her  in  his  arms,  cancel  his  promise  and 
defy  the  troubles  that  opposed  her. 

"  She  will  not  mind  my  telling  you,  because  she 
considers  you  the  very  best  of  men,  Mr.  Lorry," 
said  the  Countess,  who  had  learned  her  English 
under  the  Princess  Yetive's  tutor.  The  demure, 
sympathetic  little  Countess,  her  face  glowing  with 
excitement  and  indignation,  could  not  resist  the  de 
sire  to  pour  into  the  ears  of  this  strong  and  resource 
ful  man  the  secrets  of  the  Princess,  as  if  trusting  to 
him,  the  child  of  a  powerful  race,  to  provide  relief. 
It  was  the  old  story  of  the  weak  appealing  to  the 
strong. 

It  seems,  according  to  the  very  truthful  account 
given  by  the  lady,  that  the  Princess  had  it  in  her 
power  to  save  Graustark  from  disgrace  and  practi 
cal  destruction.  The  Prince  of  Axphain's  son, 
Lorenz,  was  deeply  enamoured  of  her,  infatuated  by 
her  marvelous  beauty  and  accomplishments.  He 
had  persuaded  his  father  to  consider  a  matrimonial 
alliance  with  her  to  be  one  of  great  value  to  Ax- 
phain.  The  old  Prince,  therefore,  some  months  be 
fore  the  arrival  of  the  Americans  in  Graustark,  sent 
to  the  Princess  a  substitute  ultimatum,  couched  in 
terms  so  polite  and  conciliatory  that  there  could  be 
no  mistaking  his  sincerity.  He  agreed  to  give  Grau 
stark  a  new  lease  of  life,  as  it  were,  by  extending 
the  fifteen  years,  or,  in  other  words,  to  grant  the 
conquered  an  additional  ten  years  in  which  to  pay 
off  the  obligations  imposed  by  the  treaty.  He  fur 
thermore  offered  a  considerable  reduction  in  the 


182  GRAUSTARK 

rate  of  interest  for  the  next  ten  years.  But  he  had 
a  condition  attached  to  this  good  and  gracious  propo 
sition  ;  the  marriage  of  Graustark's  sovereign.  His 
Ambassador  set  forth  the  advantages  of  such  an 
alliance,  and  departed  with  a  message  that  the  mat 
ter  should  have  most  serious  consideration. 

The  old  Prince's  proposition  was  a  blow  to  the 
Princess,  who  was  placed  in  a  trying  position.  By 
sacrificing  herself  she  could  save  her  country,  but 
in  so  doing  her  life  was  to  be  plunged  into  intermi 
nable  darkness.  She  did  not  love,  nor  did  she  re 
spect  Lorenz,  who  was  not  favorably  supplied  with 
civilized  intelligence.  The  proposition  was  laid  be 
fore  the  Cabinet  and  the  nobility  by  the  Princess  her 
self,  who  said  that  she  would  be  guided  by  any  de 
cision  they  might  reach.  The  counsellors,  to  a  man, 
refused  to  sacrifice  their  girlish  ruler,  and  the  people 
vociferously  ratified  the  resolution.  But  the  Prin 
cess  would  not  allow  them  to  send  an  answer  to 
Axphain  until  she  could  see  a  way  clear  to  save  her 
people  in  some  other  manner.  An  embassy  was 
sent  to  the  Prince  of  Dawsbergen.  His  domain 
touched  Graustark  on  the  south,  and  he  ruled  a 
wild,  turbulent  class  of  mountaineers  and  herdsmen. 
The  embassy  sought  to  secure  an  endorsement  of 
the  loan  from  Prince  Gabriel  sufficient  to  meet  the 
coming  crisis.  Gabriel,  himself  smitten  by  the  charms 
of  the  Princess,  at  once  offered  himself  in  marriage, 
agreeing  to  advance,  in  case  she  accepted  him,  twenty 
million  gavvos,  at  a  rather  high  rate  of  interest,  for 
fifteen  years.  His  love  for  her  was  so  great  that  he 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY       183 

would  pawn  the  entire  principality  for  an  answer 
that  would  make  him  the  happiest  man  on  earth. 
Now,  the  troubled  Princess  abhorred  Gabriel.  Of 
the  two,  Lorenz  was  much  to  be  preferred.  Gabriel 
flew  into  a  rage  upon  the  receipt  of  this  rebuff,  and 
openly  avowed  his  intention  to  make  her  suffer.  His 
infatuation  became  a  mania,  and,  up  to  the  very 
day  on  which  the  Countess  told  the  story,  he  persisted 
in  his  appeals  to  the  Princess.  In  person  he  had 
gone  to  her  to  plead  his  suit,  on  his  knees,  grovelling 
at  her  feet.  He  went  so  far  as  to  exclaim  madly  in 
the  presence  of  the  alarmed  but  relentless  object  of 
his  love  that  he  would  win  her  or  turn  the  whole 
earth  into  everything  unpleasant. 

So  it  was  that  the  Princess  of  Graustark,  erst 
while  Miss  Guggenslocker,  was  being  dragged 
through  the  most  unhappy  affairs  that  ever  beset  a 
sovereign.  Within  a  month  she  was  to  sign  away 
two-thirds  of  her  domain,  transforming  multitudes 
of  her  beloved  and  loving  people  into  subjects  of  the 
hated  Axphain,  or  to  sell  herself,  body  and  soul,  to 
a  loathsome  bidder  in  the  guise  of  a  suitor.  And, 
with  all  this  confronting  her,  she  had  come  to  the 
realization  of  a  truth  so  sad  and  distracting  that  it 
was  breaking  her  tortured  heart.  She  was  in  love — 
but  with  no  royal  Prince!  Of  this,  however,  the 
Countess  knew  nothing,  so  Lorry  had  one  great  se 
cret  to  cherish  alone. 

"Has  she  chosen  the  course  she  will  pursue?" 
asked  Lorry,  as  the  Countess  concluded  her  story. 
His  face  was  turned  away. 


184.  GRAUSTARK 

"  She  cannot  decide.  We  have  wept  together  over 
this  dreadful,  this  horrible  thing.  You  do  not  know 
what  it  means  to  all  of  us,  Mr.  Lorry.  We  love  her, 
and  there  is  not  one  in  our  land  who  would  sacrifice 
her  to  save  this  territory.  As  for  Gabriel,  Grau- 
stark  would  kill  her  before  she  should  go  to  him. 
Still,  she  cannot  let  herself  sacrifice  those  Northern 
subjects  when  by  a  single  act  she  can  save  them. 
You  see,  the  Princess  has  not  forgotten  that  her 
father  brought  this  war  upon  the  people,  and  she 
feels  it  her  duty  to  pay  the  penalty  of  his  error, 
whatever  the  cost." 

"  Is  there  no  other  to  whom  she  can  turn — no 
other  course?"  asked  Lorry. 

"  There  is  none  who  would  assist  us,  bankrupt  as 
we  are.  .  There  is  a  question  I  want  to  ask,  Mr. 
Lorry.  Please  look  at  me — do  not  stare  at  the 
fountain  all  the  time.  Why  have  you  come  to  Edel 
weiss?"  She  asked  the  question  so  boldly  that  his 
startled  embarrassment  was  an  unspoken  confession. 
He  calmed  himself  and  hesitated  long  before  an 
swering,  weighing  his  reply.  She  sat  close  beside 
him,  her  clear  gray  eyes  reading  him  like  a  book. 

"  I  came  to  see  a  Miss  Guggenslocker,"  he  an 
swered  at  last. 

"For  what  purpose?  There  must  have  been  an 
urgent  cause  to  bring  you  so  far.  You  are  not  an 
American  banker?  " 

"  I  had  intended  to  ask  her  to  be  my  wife,"  he 
said,  knowing  that  secrecy  was  useless  and  seeing  a 
faint  hope. 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY     185 

"  You  did  not  find  Miss  Guggenslocker." 

"  No.     I  have  not  found  her." 

"  And  are  you  going  home  disappointed,  Mr. 
Lorry,  because  she  is  not  here?  " 

"  I  leave  the  answer  to  your  tender  imagination." 

There  was  a  long  pause. 

"  May  I  ask  when  you  expect  to  leave  Graustark?  " 
she  asked,  somewhat  timidly. 

"Why  do  you  wish  to  know?  "  he  asked  in  turn. 

"  Because  I  know  how  hopeless  your  quest  has 
been.  You  have  found  Miss  Guggenslocker,  but 
she  is  held  behind  a  wall  so  strong  and  impregnable 
that  you  cannot  reach  her  with  the  question  you 
came  to  ask.  You  have  come  to  that  wall,  and 
now  you  must  turn  back.  I  have  asked,  how  soon?  " 

"  Not  until  your  Princess  bids  me  take  up  my  load 
and  go.  You  see,  my  lady,  I  love  to  sit  beneath  the 
shadow  of  the  wall  you  describe.  It  will  require  a 
royal  edict  to  compel  me  to  abandon  my  position." 

"  You  cannot  expect  the  Princess  to  drive  you 
from  her  country, — you  who  have  done  so  much 
for  her.  You  must  go,  Mr.  Lorry,  without  her  bid- 
ding." 

"I  must?" 

"  Yes,  for  your  presence  outside  that  wall  may 
make  the  imprisonment  all  the  more  unendurable  for 
the  one  your  love  cannot  reach.  Do  you  understand 
me?  " 

"  Has  the  one  behind  the  wall  instructed  you  to 
say  this  to  me?  "  he  asked,  miserably. 

"  She  has  not.    I  do  not  know  her  heart,  but  I  am 


186  GRAUSTARK 

a  woman  and  have  a  woman's  foresight.  If  you 
wish  to  be  kind  and  good  to  her,  go !  " 

"  I  cannot !  "  he  exclaimed,  his  pent  feelings  burst 
ing  forth.  "  I  cannot  go  !  " 

"  You  will  not  be  so  selfish  and  so  cruel  as  to  in 
crease  the  horror  of  the  wreck  that  is  sure  to  come," 
she  said,  drawing  back. 

"  You  know,  Countess,  of  the  life-saving  crews 
who  draw  from  the  wrecks  of  ships  lives  that  were 
hopelessly  lost.  There  is  to  be  a  wreck  here;  is 
there  to  be  a  life-saver?  When  the  night  is 
darkest,  the  sea  wildest,  when  hope  is  gone,  is  not 
that  the  time  when  rescue  is  most  precious?  Tell  me, 
you  know  all  there  is  of  this  approaching  dis 
aster? " 

"  I  cannot  command  you  to  leave  Edelweiss ;  I 
can  only  tell  you  that  you  will  have  something  to 
answer  for  if  you  stay,"  said  the  Countess. 

"  Will  you  help  me  if  I  show  you  that  I  can  reach 
the  wreck  and  save  the  one  who  clings  to  it  despair 
ingly?  "  he  asked,  smiling,  suddenly  calm  and  con 
fident. 

"  Willingly,  for  I  love  the  one  who  is  going  down 
in  the  sea.  I  have  spoken  to  you  seriously,  though, 
and  I  trust  you  will  not  misunderstand  me.  I  like 
you  and  I  like  Mr.  Anguish.  You  could  stay  here 
forever  so  far  as  I  am  concerned." 

He  thought  long  and  intently  over  what  she  had 
said  as  he  smoked  his  cigar  on  the  great  balcony 
that  night.  In  his  heart  he  knew  he  was  adding 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY     187 

horror,  but  that  persistent  hope  of  the  life-saver 
came  up  fresh  and  strong  to  combat  the  argument. 
He  saw,  in  one  moment,  the  vast  chasm  between  the 
man  and  the  Princess ;  in  the  next,  he  laughed  at  the 
puny  space. 

Down  on  the  promenade  he  could  see  the  figures 
of  men  and  women  strolling  in  the  moonlight.  To 
his  ears  came  the  occasional  laugh  of  a  man,  the 
silvery  gurgle  of  a  woman.  The  royal  military 
band  was  playing  in  th ;  stand  near  the  edge  of  the 
great  circle.  There  was  gaiety,  comfort,  charm  and 
security  about  everything  that  came  to  his  eyes  and 
ears.  Was  is  possible  that  this  peace,  unruffled,  was 
so  near  its  end? 

He  smiled  as  he  heard  Harry  Anguish  laugh  gaily 
in  his  good  old  way,  his  ringing  tones  mingling  with 
a  woman's.  There  was  no  trouble  in  the  hearts  of 
the  Countess  and  his  blithe  comrade.  Behind  him 
rose  the  grim  castle  walls,  from  the  windows  of 
which,  here  and  there,  gleamed  the  lights  of  the 
night.  Where  was  she?  He  had  seen  her  in  the 
afternoon  and  had  talked  with  her,  had  walked  with 
her.  Their  conversation  had  been  bright,  but  of 
the  commonplace  kind.  She  had  said  nothing  to 
indicate  that  she  remembered  the  hour  spent  beside 
his  couch  a  day  or  so  before;  he  had  uttered  none 
of  the  words  that  struggled  to  rush  from  his  lips, — 
the  questions,  the  pleadings,  the  vows.  Where  was 
she  now?  Not  in  that  gay  crowd  below,  for  he  had 
scanned  every  figure  with  the  hawk's  eye.  Closeted 
again,  no  doubt,  with  her  Ministers,  wearying  her 


188  GRAUSTARK 

tired  brain,  her  brave  heart  into  fatigue  without 
rest. 

Her  court  still  trembled  with  the  excitement  of 
the  daring  attempt  of  the  abductors  and  their  swift 
punishment.  Functionaries  flocked  to  Edelweiss  to 
inquire  after  the  welfare  of  the  Princess,  and  indig 
nation  was  at  the  highest  pitch.  There  were  theories 
innumerable  as  to  the  identity  of  the  arch-conspira 
tor.  Baron  Dangloss  was  at  sea  completely.  He 
cursed  himself  and  everybody  else  for  the  hasty  and 
ill-timed  execution  of  the  hirelings.  It  was  quite 
evident  that  the  buzzing  wonder  and  intense  feeling 
of  the  people  had  for  the  moment  driven  out  all 
thought  of  the  coming  day  of  judgment  and  its  bit 
ter  atonement  for  all  Graustark.  To-day  the  castle 
was  full  of  the  nobility,  drawn  to  its  walls  by  the 
news  that  had  startled  them  beyond  all  expression. 
The  police  were  at  work,  the  military  trembled  with 
rage,  the  people  clamored  for  the  apprehension  of 
the  man  who  had  been  the  instigator  of  this  audacity. 
The  general  belief  was  that  some  brigand  chief  from 
the  South  had  planned  the  great  theft  for  the  pur 
pose  of  securing  a  fabulous  ransom.  Grenfall  Lorry 
had  an  astonishing  theory  in  his  mind,  and  the  more 
he  thought  it  over  the  more  firmly  it  was  imbedded. 

The  warm,  blue  coils  from  the  cigar  wafted  awav 
into  the  night,  carrying  with  them  a  myriad  of 
tangled  thoughts, — of  her,  of  Axphain,  of  the  ab 
ductor,  of  himself,  of  everything.  A  light  step  on 
the  stone  floor  of  the  shadowy  balcony  attracted  his 
attention.  He  turned  his  head — and  saw  the  Prin- 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY     189 

cess  Yetive.  She  was  walking  slowly  toward  the 
balustrade,  not  aware  of  his  presence.  There  was 
no  covering  for  the  dark  hair,  no  wrap  about  the 
white  shoulders.  She  wore  an  exquisite  gown  of 
white,  shimmering  with  reflections  from  the  moon 
that  scaled  the  mountain  top.  She  stood  at  the  bal 
ustrade,  her  hands  clasping  a  bouquet  of  red  roses, 
her  chin  lifted,  her  eyes  gazing  toward  the  moun 
tain's  crest,  the  prettiest  picture  he  had  ever  seen. 
The  strange  dizziness  of  love  overpowered  him.  His 
hungry  eyes  glanced  upward  towards  the  sky  which 
she  was  blessing  with  her  gaze,  and  beheld  another 
picture,  gloomy,  grim,  cheerless. 

Against  the  moonlit  screen  of  the  universe  clung 
the  black  tower  of  that  far-away  monastery  in  the 
clouds,  the  home  of  the  monks  of  Saint  Valentine. 
Out  of  the  world,  above  the  world,  a  part  of  the 
sky  itself,  it  stood  like  the  spectre  of  a  sentinel  whose 
ghostly  guardianship  appalled  and  yet  soothed. 

He  could  not,  would  not,  move.  To  have  done  so 
meant  the  desecration  of  a  picture  so  delicate  that 
a  breath  upon  its  surface  would  have  swept  it  for 
ever  from  the  vision.  How  long  he  revelled  in  the 
glory  of  the  picture  he  knew  not,  for  it  was  as  if  he 
looked  from  a  dream.  At  last  he  saw  her  look 
down  upon  the  roses,  lift  them  slowly  and  drop  them 
over  the  rail.  They  fell  to  the  ground  below.  He 
thought  he  understood;  the  gift  of  a  Prince  de 
spised. 

They  were  not  twenty  feet  apart.  He  advanced 
to  her  side,  his  hat  in  one  hand,  his  stick — the  one 


190  GRAUSTARK. 

that    felled   the   Viennese — trembling   in    the   other. 

"  I  did  not  know  you  were  here,"  she  exclaimed, 
in  half  frightened  amazement.  "  I  left  my  ladies 
inside." 

He  was  standing  beside  her,  looking  down  into 
the  eyes.  • 

"  And  I  am  richer  because  of  your  ignorance,"  he 
said,  softly.  "  I  have  seen  a  picture  that  shall  never 
leave  my  memory — never !  Its  beauty  enthralled, 
enraptured.  Then  I  saw  the  drama  of  the  roses. 
Ah,  your  Highness,  the  crown  is  not  always  a 
mask." 

"  The  roses  were — were  of  no  consequence,"  she 
faltered. 

"  I  have  heard  how  you  stand  between  two  suitors 
and  that  wretched  treaty.  My  heart  ached  to  tell 
you  how  I  pity  you." 

"  It  is  not  pity  I  need,  but  courage.  Pity  will  not 
aid  me  in  my  duty,  Mr.  Lorry.  It  stands  plainly 
before  me,  this  duty,  but  I  have  not  the  cour 
age  to  take  it  up  and  place  it  about  my  neck  for 
ever." 

"You  do  not,  cannot  love  this  Lorenz? "  he 
asked. 

"  Love  him !  "  she  cried.  "  Ach,  I  forget !  You  do 
not  know  him.  Yet  I  shall  doubtless  be  his  wife." 
There  was  an  eternity  of  despair  in  that  low,  steady 
voice. 

"You  shall  not!     I  swear  you  shall  not!" 

"  Oh,  he  is  a  Prince !  I  must  accept  the  offer  that 
means  salvation  to  Graustark.  Why  do  you  make 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY     191 

it  harder  with  torture  which  you  think  is  kindness. 
Listen  to  me.  Next  week  I  am  to  give  my  answer. 
He  will  be  here,  in  this  castle.  My  father  brought 
this  calamity  upon  Graustark;  I  must  lift  it  from 
the  people.  What  has  my  happiness  to  do  with 
it?  '' 

Her  sudden  strength  silenced  him,  crushed  him  with 
the  real  awakening  of  helplessness.  He  stood  beside 
her,  looking  up  at  the  cold  monastery,  strangely 
conscious  that  she  was  gazing  toward  the  same  dizzy 
height. 

"  It  looks  so  peaceful  up  there,"  she  said  at  last. 

"  But  so  cold  and  cheerless,"  he  added,  drearily. 
There  was  another  long  silence  in  which  two  hearts 
communed  through  the  medium  of  that  faraway  sen 
tinel.  "  They  have  not  discovered  a  clue  to  the  chief 
abductor,  have  they?  "  he  asked,  in  an  effort  to  re 
turn  to  his  proper  sphere. 

"  Baron  Dangloss  believes  he  has  a  clue — a  meager 
and  unsatisfactory  one,  he  admits — and  to-day  sent 
officers  to  Ganlook  to  investigate  the  actions  of  a 
strange  man  who  was  there  last  week,  a  man  who 
styled  himself  the  Count  of  Arabazon,  and  who 
claimed  to  be  of  Vienna.  Some  Austrians  had  been 
hunting  stags  and  bears  in  the  North,  however,  and 
it  is  possible  he  is  one  of  them."  She  spoke  slowly, 
her  eyes  still  bent  on  the  home  of  the  monks. 

"  Your  Highness,  I  have  a  theory,  a  bold  and  per 
haps  a  criminal  theory,  but  you  will  allow  me  to  tell 
you  why  I  am  possessed  of  it.  I  am  aware  that 
there  is  a  Prince  Gabriel.  It  is  my  opinion  that  no 


192  GRAUSTARK 

Viennese  is  guilty,  nor  are  the  brigands  to  be  ac 
cused  of  this  masterpiece  in  crime.  Have  you  thought 
how  far  a  man  may  go  to  obtain  his  heart's  desire?  " 

She  looked  at  him  instantly,  her  eyes  wide  with 
growing  comprehension,  the  solution  to  the  mystery 
darting  into  her  mind  like  a  flash. 

"  You  mean —  "  she  began,  stopping  as  if  afraid 
to  voice  the  suspicion. 

"  That  Prince  Gabriel  is  the  man  who  bought  your 
guards  and  hired  Geddos  and  Ostrom  to  carry  you 
to  the  place  where  he  could  own  you,  whether  you 
would  or  no,"  said  Lorry. 

"  But  he  could  never  have  forced  me  to  marry  him, 
and  I  should,  sooner  or  later,  have  exposed  him," 
she  whispered,  argumentatively.  "  He  could  not  ex 
pect  me  to  be  silent  and  submit  to  a  marriage  under 
such  circumstances.  He  knows  that  I  would  de 
nounce  him,  even  at  the  altar." 

"  You  do  not  appreciate  my  estimate  of  that  gen 
tleman." 

"  What  is  to  become  of  me ! "  she  almost  sobbed, 
in  an  anguish  of  fear.  "  I  see  now — I  see  plainly ! 
It  was  Gabriel,  and  he  would  have  done  as  you  say." 
A  shudder  ran  through  her  figure,  and  he  tenderly 
whispered  in  her  car: 

"  The  danger  is  past.  He  can  do  no  more,  Your 
Highness.  Were  I  positive  that  he  is  the  man — and 
I  believe  he  is — I  would  hunt  him  down  this  night." 

Her  eyes  closed  happily  under  his  gaze,  her  hand 
dropped  timidly  from  his  arm  and  a  sweet  sense  of 
security  filled  her  soul. 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY     193 

**  I  am  not  afraid,"  she  murmured. 

"  Because  I  am  here?  "  he  asked,  bending  nearer, 

"  Because  God  can  bless  with  the  same  hand  that 
punishes,"  she  answered,  enigmatically,  lifting  her 
lashes  again,  and  looking  into  his  eyes  with  a  love 
at  last  unmasked.  "  He  gives  me  a  man  to  love  and 
denies  me  happiness.  He  makes  of  me  a  woman, 
but  He  does  not  unmake  me  a  Princess.  Through 
you,  He  thwarts  a  villain;  through  you,  He  crushes 
the  innocent.  More  than  ever,  I  thank  you  for 
coming  into  my  life.  You  and  you  alone,  guided 
by  the  God  who  loves  and  despises  me,  saved  me 
from  Gabriel." 

"  I  only  ask "  he  began,  eagerly,  but  she  in 
terrupted. 

"  You  should  not  ask  anything,  for  I  have  said  I 
cannot  pay.  I  owe  to  you  all  I  have,  but  cannot  pay 
the  debt." 

"  I  shall  not  again  forget,"  he  murmured. 

"  To-morrow,  if  you  like,  I  will  take  you  over  the 
castle  and  let  you  see  the  squalor  in  which  I  exist, — 
my  throne  room,  my  chapel,  my  banquet  hall,  my 
ball  room,  my  conservatory,  my  sepulchre.  You 
may  say  it  is  wealth,  but  I  shall  call  it  poverty,"  she 
said,  after  they  had  watched  the  black  monastery  cut 
a  square  corner  from  the  moon's  circle. 

"  To-morrow,  if  you  will  be  so  kind." 

"  Perhaps  I  may  be  poorer  after  I  have  saved 
Graustark,"  she  said. 

"  I  would  to  God  I  could  save  you  from  that !  "  he 
said. 


194  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  would  to  God  you  could,"  she  said.  Her  man 
ner  changed  suddenly.  She  laughed  gaily,  turning 
a  light  face  to  his.  "I  hear  your  friend's  laugh 
out  there  in  the  darkness.  It  is  delightfully  in 
fectious." 


XIV 

THE  EPISODE  OF  THE  THEONE  ROOM 

"  This  is  the  throne  room.    Allode  !  " 

The  Princess  Yetive  paused  before  two  massive 
doors.  It  was  the  next  afternoon,  and  she  had 
already  shown  him  the  palace  of  a  Queen — the  hovel 
of  a  pauper ! 

Through  the  afternon  not  one  word  other  than 
those  which  might  have  passed  between  good  friends 
escaped  the  lips  of  either.  He  was  all  interest,  she 
all  graciousness.  Allode,  the  sturdy  guard,  swung 
open  the  doors,  drew  the  curtain,  and  stood  aside 
for  them  to  pass.  Into  the  quiet  hall  she  led  him,  a 
Princess  in  a  gown  of  gray,  a  courtier  in  tweeds. 
Inside  the  doors  he  paused. 

"  And  I  thought  you  were  Miss  Guggenslocker," 
he  said.  She  laughed  with  the  glee  of  a  child  who 
had  charmed  and  delighted  through  surprise. 

"  Am  I  not  a  feeble  mite  to  sit  on  that  throne  and 
rule  all  that  comes  within  its  reach?  She  directed 
his  attention  to  the  throne  at  the  opposite  end  of  the 
hall.  "  From  its  seat  I  calmly  instruct  gray-haired 
statesmen,  weigh  their  wisdom  and  pass  upon  it  as 
if  I  were  Demosthenes,  challenge  the  evils  that  may 

195 


196  GRAUSTARK 

drive  monarchs  mad,  and  wonder  if  my  crown  is  on 
straight." 

"  Let  me  be  Ambassador  from  the  United  States 
and  kneel  at  the  throne,  Your  Highness." 

"  I  could  not  engage  in  a  jest  with  the  crown  my 
ancestors  wore,  Mr.  Lorry.  It  is  sacred,  thou 
thoughtless  American.  Come,  we  will  draw  nearer, 
that  you  may  see  the  beauty  of  the  workmanship  in 
that  great  old  chair." 

They  stood  at  the  base  of  the  low,  velveted  stage 
on  which  stood  the  chair,  with  its  high  back,  its 
massive  arms  and  legs  ashimmer  in  the  light  from 
the  lofty  windows.  It  was  of  gold,  inlaid  with 
precious  stones — diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds,  sap 
phires  and  other  wondrous  jewels — a  relic  of  an 
cient  Graustark. 

"  I  never  sit  in  the  center.  Always  at  one  side  or 
the  other,  usually  leaning  my  elbow  on  the  arm.  You 
see,  the  discussions  are  generally  so  long  and  dreary 
that  I  become  fatigued.  One  time, — I  am  ashamed 
to  confess  it, — I  went  to  sleep  on  the  throne.  That 
was  long  ago.  I  manage  to  keep  awake  very  well 
of  late.  Do  you  like  my  throne  room?  " 

"  And  to  think  that  it  is  yours !  " 

"  It  is  this  room  that  gives  me  the  right  to  be 
hailed  with  *  Long  live  the  Princess  ! '  Not  with  cam 
paign  yells  and  *  Hurrah  for  Yetive ! '  How  does 
that  sound?  *  Hurrah  for  Yetive!'  She  was 
laughing  merrily. 

"Don't  say  it!  It  sounds  sacrilegious — revolt- 
ing!" 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM    197 

"  For  over  three  years — since  I  was  eighteen — I 
have  been  supreme  in  that  chair.  During  the  years 
of  my  reign  prior  to  that  time  I  sat  there  with  my 
Uncle  Caspar  standing  beside  me.  How  often  I 
begged  him  to  sit  down  with  me!  There  was  so 
much  room  and  he  certainly  must  have  grown  tired 
of  standing.  One  time  I  cried  because  he  frowned 
at  me  when  I  persisted  in  the  presence  of  a  great 
assemblage  of  nobles  from  Dawsbergen.  It  seems 
that  it  was  a  most  important  audience  that  I  was 
granting,  but  I  thought  more  of  my  uncle's  tired 
old  legs.  I  remember  saying,  through  my  sobs  of 
mortification,  that  I  would  have  him  beheaded.  You 
are  to  guess  whether  that  startling  threat  created 
consternation  or  mirth." 

"  What  a  whimsical  little  Princess  you  must  have 
been,  weeping  and  pouting  and  going  to  sleep,"  he 
laughed.  "  And  how  sedate  and  wise  you  have  be 
come." 

"  Thank  you.  How  very  nice  you  are.  I  have  felt 
all  along  that  some  one  would  discern  my  effort  to 
be  dignified  and  sedate.  They  say  I  am  wise  and 
good  and  gracious,  but  that  is  to  be  expected.  They 
said  that  of  sovereigns  as  far  back  as  the  deluge, 
I've  heard.  Would  you  really  like  to  see  rne  in  that 
old  chair?  "  she  asked. 

"  Ah,  you  are  still  a  woman,"  he  said,  smiling  at 
her  pretty  vanity.  "  Nothing  could  impress  me  more 
pleasantly." 

She  stepped  carelessly  and  impulsively  upon  the 
royal  platform,  leaned  against  the  arm  of  the  throne, 


198  GRAUSTARK 

and  with  the  charming  blush  of  consciousness  turned 
to  him  with  the  quickness  of  a  guilty  conscience, 
eager  to  hear  his  praise  but  fearful  lest  he  secretly 
condemned  her  conceit.  His  eyes  were  burning  with 
the  admiration  that  knows  no  defining,  and  his 
breath  came  quick  and  sharp  through  parted  lips. 
He  involuntarily  placed  a  foot  upon  the  bottom  step 
as  if  to  spring  to  her  side. 

"  You  must  not  come  up  here !  "  she  cried,  shrink 
ing  back,  her  hands  extended  in  fluttering  remon 
strance.  "  I  cannot  permit  that,  at  all !  " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  cried.  "  That  is  all  the 
humble  plebeian  can  say.  That  I  may  be  more 
completely  under  this  fairy  spell,  pray  cast  about 
yourself  the  robe  of  rank  and  take  up  the  sceptre. 
Perhaps  I  may  fall  upon  my  face." 

"  And  hurt  your  head  all  over  again,"  she  said, 
laughing  nervously.  She  hesitated  for  a  moment, 
a  perplexed  frown  crossing  her  brow.  Then  she 
jerked  a  rich  robe  from  the  back  of  the  throne  and 
placed  it  about  her  shoulders  as  only  a  woman  can. 
Taking  up  the  sceptre,  she  stood  before  the  great 
chair,  and,  with  a  smile  on  her  lips,  held  it  above  his 
head,  saying  softly: 

"  Graustark  welcomes  the  American  Prince." 

He  sank  to  his  knees  before  the  real  Princess, 
kissed  the  hem  of  her  robe  and  arose  with  face  pal 
lid.  The  chasm  was  now  endless  in  its  immensity. 
The  Princess  gingerly  seated  herself  on  the  throne, 
placed  her  elbow  on  the  broad  arm,  her  white  chin 


'GRAUSTARK  WELCOMES  THE  AMERICAN  PRINCK." 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM    199 

in  her  hand,  and  tranquilly  surveyed  the  voiceless 
American  Prince. 

"  You  have  not  said,  *  Thank  you,' "  she  said, 
finally,  her  eyes  wavering  beneath  his  steady  gaze. 

"  I  am  only  thinking  how  easy  it  would  be  to  cross 
the  gulf  that  lies  between  us.  With  two  movements 
of  my  body  I  can  place  it  before  you,  with  a  third 
I  can  be  sitting  at  your  side.  It  is  not  so  difficult, 
after  all,"  he  said  hungrily  eyeing  the  broad  chair. 

"  No  man,  unless  a  Prince,  ever  sat  upon  this 
throne,"  she  said. 

"  You  have  called  me  a  Prince." 

"  Oh,  I  jested,"  she  cried  quickly,  comprehending 
his  intention.  "  I  forbid  you !  " 

Her  command  came  too  late,  for  he  was  beside 
her  on  the  throne  of  Graustark !  She  sat  perfectly 
rigid  for  a  moment,  intense  fear  in  her  eyes. 

"  Do  you  know  what  you  have  done  ?  "  she  whis 
pered,  miserably. 

"  Usurped  the  throne,"  he  replied,  assuming  an 
ease  and  complacence  he  did  not  feel.  Truly  he  was 
guilty  of  unprecedented  presumption. 

"  You  have  desecrated — desecrated !  Do  you 
hear  ?  "  she  went  on,  paying  no  attention  to  his  re 
mark. 

"  Peccavi.  Ah,  Your  Highness,  I  delight  in  my 
sin.  For  once  I  am  a  power;  I  speak  from  the 
throne.  You  will  not  have  me  abdicate  in  the  zenith 
of  my  glory?  Be  kind,  most  gracious  one.  Be 
sides,  did  you  not  once  cry  because  your  uncle  re 
fused  to  sit  with  you?  Had  he  been  the  possessor 


200  GRAUSTARK 

x)f  a  dangerous  wound,  as  I  am,  and  had  he  found 
himself  so  weak  that  he  could  stand  no  longer,  I 
am  sure  he  would  have  done  as  I  have — sat  down 
in  preference  to  falling  limp  at  your  feet.  You  do 
not  know  how  badly  I  am  wounded,"  he  pleaded, 
with  the  subtlest  double  meaning. 

"  Why  should  you  wound  me?  "  she  asked,  plain 
tively.  "  You  have  no  right  to  treat  the  throne  I 
occupy  as  a  subject  for  pranks  and  indignities.  I 
did  not  believe  you  could  be  so — forgetful."  There 
was  a  proud  and  pitiful  resentment  in  her  voice 
that  brought  him  to  his  senses  at  once.  He  had 
defiled  her  throne.  In  shame  and  humiliation,  he 
cried  : 

"  I  am  a  fool — an  ingrate.  You  have  been  too 
gentle  with  me.  For  this  despicable  act  of  mine  I 
cannot  ask  pardon,  and  it  would  be  beneath  you  to 
grant  it.  I  have  hurt  you,  and  I  can  never  atone.  I 
forgot  how  sacred  is  your  throne.  Let  me  depart  in 
disgrace."  He  stood  erect,  as  if  to  forsake  the 
throne  he  had  stained,  but  she,  swayed  by  a  com 
plete  reversal  of  feeling,  timidly,  pleadingly,  touched 
his  arm. 

"  Stay!  It  is  my  throne,  after  all.  I  shall  divide 
it,  as  well  as  the  sin,  with  you.  Sit  down  again,  I 
beg  of  you.  For  a  brief  spell  I  would  rule  beside 
a  man  who  is  fit  to  be  a  King,  but  who  is  a  desecra- 
tor.  There  can  be  no  harm,  and  no  one  shall  be  the 
wiser  for  this  sentimental  departure  from  royal 
custom.  We  are  children,  anyhow — mere  children." 

With  an  exclamation  of  delight,  he  resumed  his 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM      201 

position  beside  her.  His  hand  trembled  as  he  took 
up  hers  to  carry  it  to  his  lips.  "  We  are  children — 
playing  with  fire,"  he  murmured,  this  ingrate,  this 
fool! 

She  allowed  her  hand  to  lie  limply  in  his,  her  head 
sinking  to  the  back  of  the  chair.  When  her  hand 
was  near  his  feverish  lips,  cool  and  white  and  trust 
ing,  he  checked  the  upward  progress.  Slowly  he 
raised  his  eyes  to  study  her  face,  finding  that  hers 
were  closed,  the  semblance  of  a  smile  touching  her 
lips,  as  if  they  were  in  a  happy  dream. 

The  lips !  The  lips !  The  lips !  The  madness  of 
love  rushed  into  his  heart;  the  expectant  hand  was 
forgotten ;  his  every  hope  and  every  desire  meas 
ured  themselves  against  his  discretion  as  he  looked 
upon  the  tempting  face.  Could  he  kiss  those  lips  but 
once  his  life  would  be  complete. 

With  a  start,  she  opened  her  eyes,  doubtless  at  the 
command  of  the  masterful  ones  above.  The  eyes 
of  blue  met  the  eyes  of  gray  in  a  short,  sharp  strug 
gle,  and  the  blue  went  down  in  surrender.  His  lips 
triumphed  slowly,  drawing  closer  and  closer,  as  if 
restrained  and  impelled  by  the  same  emotion — arro 
gant  love. 

"  Open  your  eyes,  darling,"  he  whispered,  and  she 
obeyed.  Then  their  lips  met — her  first  kiss  of  love ! 

She  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  perfectly  power 
less  beneath  the  spell.  Again  he  kissed  a  Princess 
on  her  throne.  At  this  second  kiss  her  eyes  grew 
wide  with  terror,  and  she  sprang  from  his  side,  stand 
ing  before  him  like  one  bereft  of  reason. 


202  GRAUSTARK 

"  Oh,  my  God !  What  have  you  done?  "  she  wailed. 
He  staggered  to  his  feet,  dizzy  with  joy. 

"  Ha !  "  cried  a  gruff  voice  from  the  doorway,  and 
the  guilty  ones  whirled  to  look  upon  the  witness  to 
their  blissful  crime.  Inside  the  curtains,  with  car 
bine  leveled  at  the  head  of  the  American,  stood 
Allode,  the  guard,  his  face  distorted  by  rage.  The 
Princess  screamed  and  leaped  between  Lorry  and 
the  threatening  carbine. 

"  Allode !  "  she  cried,  in  frantic  terror. 

He  angrily  cried  out  something  in  his  native  tongue 
and  she  breathlessly,  imploringly  replied.  Lorry 
did  not  understand  their  words,  but  he  knew  that  she 
had  saved  him  from  death  at  the  hand  of  her  loyal, 
erring  guard.  Allode  lowered  his  gun,  bowed  low 
and  turned  his  back  upon  the  throne. 

"  He — he  would  have  killed  you,"  she  said,  tremu 
lously,  her  face  the  picture  of  combined  agony  and 
relief.  She  remembered  the  blighting  kisses  and  the 
averted  disaster. 

"  You — what  did  you  say  to  him  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I — I — oh,  I  will  not  tell  you,"  she  cried. 

"  I  beg  of  you !  " 

"  I  told  him  that  he  was  to — was  to  put  down  his 
gun." 

"  I  know  that,  but  why?  "  he  persisted. 

"  I — Ach,  to  save  you,  stupid  !  " 

"  How  did  you  explain  the — the :  He  hesi 
tated,  generously. 

"  I  told  him  that  I  had  not  been — that  I  had  not 
been " 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM     203 

"  Say  it !  " 

"  That  I  had  not  been — off  ended !  "  she  gasped, 
standing  stiff  and  straight,  with  eyes  glued  upon  the 
obedient  guard. 

i(  You  were  not?  "  he  rapturously  cried. 

"  1  said  it  only  to  save  your  life !  "  she  cried,  turn 
ing  fiercely  upon  him.  '*  I  shall  never  forgive  you ! 
Never !  You  must  go — you  must  leave  here  at  once ! 
Do  you  hear?  I  cannot  have  you  near  me  now — I 
cannot  see  you  again.  Ach,  God!  What  have  I 
given  you  the  right  to  say  of  me?  " 

"  Stop  !    It  is  as  sacred  as " 

"  Yes,  yes — I  understand !  I  trust  you,  but  you 
must  go !  Find  some  excuse  to  give  your  friend 
and  go  to-day !  Go  now !  "  she  cried,  intensely,  first 
putting  her  hands  to  her  temples,  then  to  her  eyes. 

Without  waiting  to  hear  this  remonstrance,  if  in 
deed  he  had  the  power  to  utter  one,  she  glided  swiftly 
toward  the  curtains,  allowing  him  to  follow  at  his 
will.  Dazed  and  crushed  at  the  sudden  end  to  every 
thing,  he  dragged  his  footsteps  after.  At  the  door 
she  spoke  in  low,  imperative  tones  to  the  motionless 
Allode,  who  dropped  to  his  knees  and  muttered  a 
reverential  response.  As  Lorry  passed  beneath  the 
hand  that  held  the  curtain  aside,  he  glanced  at  the 
face  of  the  man  who  had  been  witness  to  their  weak 
ness.  He  was  looking  straight  ahead,  and,  from  his 
expression,  it  could  not  have  been  detected  that  he 
knew  there  was  a  man  on  earth  save  himself.  In  the 
hall,  she  turned  to  him,  her  face  cold  and  pale. 

"  I  have  faithful  guards  about  me  now.     Allode 


204  GRAUSTARK 

has  said  he  did  not  see  you  in  the  throne  room.  He 
will  die  before  he  will  say  otherwise,"  she  said,  her 
lips  trembling  with  shame. 

"  By  your  command?  " 

"  By  my  request.  I  do  not  command  my  men  to 
lie." 

Side  by  side  they  passed  down  the  quiet  hall, 
silent,  thoughtful,  the  strain  of  death  upon  their 
hearts. 

"  I  shall  obey  the  only  command  you  have  given, 
then.  This  day  I  leave  the  castle.  You  will  let 
me  come  again — to  see  you?  There  can  be  no 
harm 

"  No  !  You  must  leave  Graustark  at  once !  "  she 
interrupted,  the  tones  low. 

"  I  refuse  to  go !  I  shall  remain  in  Edelweiss,  near 
you,  just  so  long  as  I  feel  that  I  may  be  of  service 
to  you." 

"  I  cannot  drive  you  out  as  I  would  a  thief,"  she 
said,  pointedly. 

At  the  top  of  the  broad  staircase  he  held  out  his 
hand  and  murmured: 

"  Good-bye,  Your  Highness !  " 

"  Good-bye,"  she  said,  simply,  placing  her  hand 
in  his  after  a  moment's  hesitation.  Then  she  left 
him. 

An  hour  later  the  two  Americans,  one  strangely 
subdued,  the  other  curious,  excited  and  impatient, 
stood  before  the  castle  waiting  for  the  carriage. 
Count  Halfont  was  with  them,  begging  them  to  re 
main,  as  he  could  see  no  reason  for  the  sudden  leave- 


"GOOD  BYE,  MY  AMERICAN." 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM     205 

taking.  Lorry  assured  mm  that  they  had  trepassed 
long  enough  on  the  court's  hospitality,  and  that  he 
would  fed  much  more  comfortable  at  the  hotel.  An 
guish  looked  narrowly  at  his  friend's  face,  but  said 
nothing.  He  was  beginning  to  understand. 

"  Let  us  walk  to  the  gates.  The  Count  will  oblige 
us  by  instructing  the  coachman  to  follow,"  said 
Lorry,  eager  to  be  off. 

"Allow  me  to  join  you  in  the  walk,  gentlemen," 
said  Count  Caspar,  immediately  instructing  a  lackey 
to  send  the  carriage  after  them.  He  and  Lorry 
walked  on  together,  Anguish  lingering  behind,  hav 
ing  caught  sight  of  the  Countess  Dagmar.  That 
charming  and  unconventional  piece  of  nobility 
promptly  followed  the  Prime  Minister's  example  and 
escorted  the  remaining  guest  to  the  gate. 

Far  down  on  the  walk  Lorry  turned  for  a  last 
glance  at  the  castle  from  which  love  had  banished 
him.  Yetive  was  standing  on  the  balcony,  looking 
not  at  the  monastery  but  at  the  exile. 

She  remained  there  long  after  the  carriage  had 
passed  her  gates,  bearing  the  Americans  swiftly  over 
the  white  Castle  Avenue,  and  there  were  tears  in 
her  eyes. 


XV 

THE    BETROTHAL 

Harry  Anguish  was  a  discreet,  forbearing  fellow. 
He  did  not  demand  a  full  explanation  of  his  friend. 
There  was  enough  natural  wit  in  his  merry  head 
to  see  that  in  connection  with  their  departure  there 
was  something  that  would  not  admit  of  discussion, 
even  by  confidential  friends.  He  shrewdly  formed 
his  own  conclusions  and  held  his  peace.  Nor  did 
he  betray  surprise  when  Lorry  informed  him,  in  an 
swer  to  a  question,  that  he  intended  to  remain  in 
Edelweiss  for  some  time,  adding  that  he  could  not 
expect  him  to  do  likewise  if  he  preferred  to  return 
to  Paris.  But  Mr.  Anguish  preferred  to  remain  in 
Edelweiss.  Had  not  the  Countess  Dagmar  told 
him  she  would  always  be  happy  to  see  him  at  the 
castle,  and  had  he  any  reason  to  renounce  its  walls? 
And  so  it  was  that  they  tarried  together. 

Lorry  loitered  aimlessly,  moodily  about  the  town, 
spending  gloomy  days  and  wretched  nights.  He  rea 
soned  that  it  were  wisdom  to  fly,  but  a  force  stronger 
than  reason  held  him  in  Edelweiss.  He  ventured 
several  times  to  the  castle  wall,  but  turned  back 
resolutely.  There  was  hope  in  his  breast  that  she 

206 


THE  BETROTHAL  207 

might  send  for  him  ;  there  was,  at  least,  the  possibility 
of  seeing  her  should  she  ride  through  the  streets. 
Anguish,  on  the  other  hand,  visited  the  castle  daily. 
He  spent  hours  with  the  pretty  Countess,  undismayed 
by  the  noble  moths  that  fluttered  about  her  flame,  and 
he  was  ever  persistent,  light-hearted  and  gay.  He 
brought  to  Lorry's  ears  all  that  he  could  learn  of 
the  Princess.  Several  times  he  had  seen  her  and  had 
spoken  with  her.  She  inquired  casually  after  the 
health  of  his  friend,  but  nothing  more.  From  the 
Countess  he  ascertained  that  Her  Highness  was  sleep 
ing  soundly,  eating  heartily  and  apparently  enjoy 
ing  the  best  of  spirits — information  decidedly  irritat 
ing  to  the  one  who  received  it  second-hand. 

They  had  been  at  the  hotel  for  over  a  week  when 
one  afternoon  Anguish  rushed  into  the  room,  out 
of  breath  and  scarcely  able  to  control  his  excite 
ment. 

"  What's  up?  "  cried  Lorry.  "  Has  the  Countess 
sacked  you  ?  " 

"  Not  on  your  coin !  But  something  is  up,  and  I 
am  its  discoverer.  You  remember  what  you  said 
about  suspecting  Prince  Gabriel  of  being  the  chief 
rascal  in  the  abduction  job?  Well,  my  boy,  I  am 
now  willing  to  stake  my  life  that  he  is  the  man." 
The  news-bearer  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  bed 
and  drew  the  first  long  breath  he  had  had  in  a  long 
time. 

"  Why  do  you  think  so?  "  demanded  the  other,  all 
interest. 

"  Heard  him  talking  just  now.    I  didn't  know  who 


208  GRAUSTARK 

the  fellow  was  at  first,  but  he  was  talking  to  some 
strange-looking  soldiers  as  I  passed.  As  soon  as  I 
heard  his  voice  I  knew  he  was  Michael.  There  isn't 
any  question  about  it,  Lorry.  I  am  positive.  He 
didn't  observe  me,  but  I  suppose  by  this  time  he  has 
learned  that  his  little  job  was  frustrated  by  two 
Americans  who  heard  the  plot  near  the  castle  gates. 
He  has  nerve  to  come  here,  hasn't  he?  " 

"  If  he  is  guilty,  yes.  Still,  he  may  feel  secure  be 
cause  he  is  a  powerful  Prince  and  able  to  resent 
any  accusation  with  a  show  of  force.  Where  is  he 
now?  " 

"  I  left  him  there.  Come  on !  We'll  go  down  and 
you  can  see  for  yourself." 

They  hurried  to  the  corridor,  which  was  swarming 
with  men  in  strange  uniforms.  There  were  a  few 
Graustark  officers,  but  the  majority  of  the  buzzing 
conversationalists  were  dressed  in  a  rich  gray  uni 
form. 

"  Who  are  these  strangers  ?  "  asked  Lorry. 

"  Oh,  I  forgot  to  tell  you.  Prince  Lorcnz  is  also 
here,  and  these  gray  fellows  are  a  part  of  his  reti 
nue.  Lorenz  has  gone  on  to  the  castle.  What's  the 
matter?  "  Lorry  had  turned  pale  and  was  reaching 
for  the  wall  with  unsteady  hand. 

"  He  has  come  for  his  answer,"  he  said,  slowly, 
painfully. 

"  That's  right ;  I  hadn't  thought  of  that.  I  hope 
she  turns  him  down.  But  there's  Gabriel  over  yon 
der.  See  those  three  fellows  in  blue?  The  middle 
one  is  the  Prince." 


THE  BETROTHAL  209 

Near  the  door  leading  to  the  piazza  stood  several 
men,  gray  and  blue.  The  man  designated  as  Gabriel 
was  in  the  center,  talking  gaily  and  somewhat  loudly, 
puffing  at  a  cigarette  between  sentences.  He  was 
not  tall,  but  he  was  strongly  and  compactly  built. 
His  hair  and  cropped  beard  were  as  black  as  coal, 
his  eyes  wide,  black  and  lined.  It  was  a  pleasure- 
worn  face,  and  Lorry  shuddered  as  he  thought  of 
the  Princess  in  the  power  of  this  evil-looking  wretch. 
They  leisurely  made  their  way  to  a  spot  near  the 
talkers.  There  was  no  mistaking  the  voice.  Prince 
Gabriel  and  Michael  were  one  and  the  same,  beyond 
all  doubt.  But  how  to  prove  it  to  the  satisfaction 
of  others?  Skepticism  would  follow  any  attempt  to 
proclaim  the  Prince  guilty  because  his  voice  sounded 
like  that  of  the  chief  conspirator.  In  a  matter  where 
whole  nations  were  concerned  the  gravest  impor 
tance  would  be  attached  to  the  accusation  of  a  ruler. 
Satisfying  themselves  as  to  the  identity  of  that 
peculiar  voice,  the  friends  passed  through  to  the 
piazza. 

"  What's  to  be  done?  "  asked  Anguish,  boiling  over 
with  excitement. 

"  We  must  go  to  Baron  Dangloss,  tell  him  of 
our  positive  discovery,  and  then  consult  Count  Hal- 
font." 

"  And  Her  Royal  Highness,  of  course." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  said  Lorry,  flicking  the  ashes 
from  his  cigar  with  a  finger  that  was  not  steady.  He 
was  serving  the  Princess  again. 

They  hurried  to  the  Tower,  and  were  soon  in  the 


210  GRAUSTARK 

presence  of  the  fierce  little  Chief  of  Police.  Lorry 
spent  many  hours  with  Dangloss  of  late,  and  they 
had  become  friends.  His  grim  old  face  blanched 
perceptibly  as  he  heard  the  assertions  of  the  young 
men.  He  shook  his  head  despairingly. 

"  It  may  be  as  you  say,  gentlemen,  but  I  am  afraid 
we  can  do  nothing.  To  charge  a  Prince  with  such 
a  crime  on  such  evidence  would  be  madness.  I  am 
of  your  belief,  however.  Prince  Gabriel  is  the  man 
I  have  suspected.  Now  I  am  convinced.  Before 
we  can  do  anything  in  such  a  grave  matter  it  will 
be  necessary  to  consult  the  Princess  and  her  Min 
isters.  In  case  we  conclude  to  accuse  the  Prince  of 
Dawsbergen,  it  must  be  after  careful  and  judicious 
thought.  There  are  many  things  to  consider,  gen 
tlemen.  For  my  part,  I  would  be  overjoyed  to  seize 
the  villain  and  to  serve  him  as  we  did  his  tools,  but 
my  hands  are  tied,  you  see.  I  would  suggest  that 
you  go  at  once  to  the  Princess  and  Count  Halfont, 
tell  them  of  your  suspicions " 

"  Not  suspicions,  my  lord, — facts,"  interrupted 
Anguish. 

"  Well,  then,  facts,  and  ascertain  how  they  feel 
about  taking  up  a  proposition  that  may  mean  war. 
May  I  ask  you  to  come  at  once  to  me  with  their  an 
swer.  It  is  possible  that  they  will  call  for  a  consulta 
tion  with  the  Ministers,  nobles  and  high  officers. 
Still,  I  fear  they  will  be  unwilling  to  risk  much  on 
the  rather  flimsy  proof  you  can  give.  Gabriel  is 
powerful,  and  we  do  not  seek  war  with  him.  There 
is  another  foe  for  whom  we  are  quietly  whetting 


THE  BETROTHAL  211 

our  swords."  The  significant  remark  caused  both 
listeners  to  prick  up  their  ears.  But  he  disappointed 
their  curiosity,  and  they  were  left  to  speculate  as  to 
whom  the  other  foe  might  be.  Did  he  mean  that 
Graustark  was  secretly,  slyly  making  ready  to  resist, 
treaty  or  no  treaty? 

It  required  prolonged  urging  on  the  part  of  An 
guish  to  persuade  Lorry  to  accompany  him  to  the 
castle,  but,  when  once  determined  to  go  before  the 
Princess  with  their  tale,  he  was  eager,  impatient  to 
cross  the  distance  that  lay  between  the  hotel  and 
the  forbidden  grounds*  They  walked  rapidly  down 
Castle  Avenue  and  were  soon  at  the  gates.  The 
guard  knew  them,  and  they  were  admitted  without 
a  word.  As  they  hurried  through  the  park,  they 
saw  many  strange  men  in  gray,  gaudy  uniforms, 
and  it  occurred  to  Lorry  that  their  visit,  no  matter 
how  great  its  importance,  was  ill-timed.  Prince 
Lorenz  was  holding  the  center  of  the  stage. 

Anguish,  with  his  customary  impulsiveness,  over 
ruled  Lorry's  objections,  and  they  proceeded  toward 
the  entrance.  The  guards  of  the  Princess  saluted 
profoundly,  while  the  minions  of  Lorenz  stared  with 
ill-bred  wonder  upon  these  two  tall  men  from  an 
other  world.  It  could  be  seen  that  the  castle  was 
astir  with  excitement,  subdued  and  pregnant  with 
thriving  hopes  and  fears.  The  nobility  of  Grau 
stark  was  there;  the  visitors  of  Axphain  were  being 
entertained. 

At  the  castle  doors  the  two  met  their  first  ob- 


212  GRAUSTARK 

stacle,  but  they  anticipated  its  presence.  Two  guards 
halted  them  peremptorily. 

"  We  must  see  Her  Royal  Highness,"  said  An 
guish,  but  the  men  could  not  understand  him.  They 
stoically  stood  their  ground,  shaking  their  heads. 

"  Let  us  find  some  one  who  can  understand  us," 
advised  Lorry,  and  in  a  few  moments  they  presented 
themselves  before  the  guards,  accompanied  by  a 
young  nobleman  with  whom  they  had  acquaintance. 
He  succeeded  in  advancing  them  to  the  reception 
hall  inside  the  doors  and  found  for  them  a  servant 
who  would  carry  a  message  to  the  Princess  if  it 
were  possible  to  gain  her  presence.  The  nobleman 
doubted  very  much,  however,  if  the  missive  hastily 
written  by  Lorry  could  find  its  way  to  her,  as  she 
had  never  been  so  occupied  as  now. 

Lorry,  in  his  brief  note,  prayed  for  a  short  audi 
ence  for  himself  and  Mr.  Anguish,  requesting  that 
Count  Halfont  be  present.  He  informed  her  that 
his  mission  was  of  the  most  imperative  nature  and 
that  it  related  to  a  discovery  made  concerning  the 
Prince  who  had  tried  to  abduct  her.  In  conclusion, 
he  wrote  that  Baron  Dangloss  had  required  him  to 
lay  certain  facts  before  her  and  that  he  had  come 
with  no  intention  to  annoy  her. 

While  they  sat  in  the  waiting-room  they  saw, 
through  the  glass  doors,  dozens  of  richly  attired  men 
and  women  in  the  hall  beyond.  They  were  con 
versing  animatedly,  Graustark  men  and  women  with 
dejected  faces,  Axphainians  with  exultation  glowing 
in  every  glance.  Lorry's  heart  sank  within  him.  It 


THE  BETROTHAL  213 

seemed  hours  before  the  servant  returned  to  bid 
them  follow  him.  Then  his  blood  leaped  madly 
through  veins  that  had  been  chilled  and  lifeless.  He 
was  to  see  her  again ! 

Their  guide  conducted  them  to  a  small  ante-room, 
where  he  left  them.  A  few  moments  later  the  door 
opened  and  there  swept  quickly  into  the  room — the 
Countess  Dagmar,  not  the  Princess.  Her  face  was 
drawn  with  the  trouble  and  sorrow  she  was  trying 
so  hard  to  conceal.  Both  men  were  on  their  feet  in 
an  instant,  advancing  to  meet  her. 

"The  Princess?     Is  she  ill?"  demanded  Lorry. 

"  Not  ill,  but  mad,  I  fear,"  answered  she,  giving 
a  hand  to  each.  "  Mr.  Lorry,  she  bids  me  say  to  you 
that  she  cannot  see  you.  She  appreciates  the  impor 
tance  of  your  mission  and  thanks  you  for  the  interest 
you  have  taken.  Also,  she  authorizes  me  to  assure 
you  that  nothing  can  be  done  at  present  regarding 
the  business  on  which  you  come." 

"  She  refuses  to  see  us,"  said  he,  slowly,  his  face 
whiter  than  ever. 

"  Nay ;  she  begs  that  you  will  excuse  her.  Her 
Highness  is  sorely  worn  and  distressed  to-day,  and 
I  fear  cannot  endure  all  that  is  happening.  She  is 
apparently  calm  and  composed,  but  I,  who  know  her 
so  well,  can  see  the  strain  beneath." 

"  Surely  she  must  see  the  urgency  of  quick  action 
in  this  matter  of  ours,"  cried  Anguish,  half  angrily. 
"  We  are  not  dogs  to  be  kicked  out  of  the  castle.  We 
have  a  right  to  be  treated  fairly — 

"  We  cannot  censure  the  Princess,  Harry,"  said 


214  GRAUSTARK 

Lorry,  calmly.  "  We  have  come  because  we  would 
befriend  her,  and  she  sees  fit  to  reject  our  good 
offices.  There  is  but  one  thing  left  for  us  to  do — 
depart  as  we  came." 

"But  I  don't  like  it  a  little  bit,"  growled  the 
other. 

"  If  you  only  knew,  Mr.  Anguish,  you  would  not 
be  so  harsh  and  unjust,"  remonstrated  the  lady 
warmly.  Turning  to  Lorry,  she  said:  "  She  asked 
me  to  hand  you  this  and  bid  you  retain  it  as  a  token 
of  her  undying  esteem." 

She  handed  him  a  small,  exquisite  miniature  of 
the  Princess,  framed  in  gold  inlaid  with  rubies.  He 
took  it  dumbly  in  his  fingers,  but  dared  not  look  at 
the  portrait  it  contained.  With  what  might  have 
seemed  disrespect,  he  dropped  the  treasure  into  his 
coat  pocket. 

"  Tell  her  I  shall  always  retain  it  as  a  token  of 
her — esteem,"  he  said.  "  And  now  may  I  ask  whther 
she  handed  my  note  to  her  uncle,  the  Count  ?  " 

The  Countess  blushed  in  a  most  unaccountable 
manner 

"  Not  while  I  was  with  her,"  she  said,  recovering 
the  presence  of  mind  she  apparently  had  lost. 

"  She  destroyed  it,  I  presume,"  said  he,  laughing 
harshly. 

"  I  saw  her  place  it  in  her  bosom,  sir,  and  with 
the  right  hand,"  cried  the  Countess,  as  if  betraying 
a  State  secret. 

*k  In  her — you  are  telling  me  the  truth  ?  "  cried  he, 
his  face  lighting  up. 


THE  BETROTHAL  215 

"  Now,  see  here,  Lorry,  don't  begin  to  question 
the  Countess's  word.  I  won't  stand  for  that,"  inter 
posed  Anguish,  good-humoredly. 

"  I  should  be  more  than  base  to  say  falsely  that 
she  had  done  anything  so  absurd,"  said  the  Countess, 
indignantly. 

"Where  is  she  now?"  asked  Lorry. 

"  In  her  boudoir.  The  Prince  Lorenz  is  with 
her — alone." 

"What!"  he  cried,  jealousy  darting  into  his  ex 
istence.  He  had  never  known  jealousy  before. 

"  They  are  betrothed,"  said  she,  with  an  effort. 
There  was  a  dead  silence,  broken  by  Lorry's  deep 
groan  as  he  turned  and  walked  blindly  to  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  room.  He  stopped  in  front  of  a  huge 
painting  and  stared  at  it,  but  did  not  see  a  line  or  a 
tint. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  she  has  accepted?  "  half 
whispered  Anguish. 

"  Nothing  less." 

"  Thank  God,  you  are  only  a  Countess,"  he  said, 
tenderly. 

"  Why — why — what  difference  can  it  make — I 
mean,  why  do  you  say  that?  "  she  stammered,  crim 
son  to  her  hair. 

"  Because  you  won't  have  to  sell  yourself  at  a  sac 
rifice,"  he  said,  foolishly.  Lorry  came  back  to  them 
at  this  junction,  outwardly  calm  and  deliberate. 

"  Tell  us  about  it,  pray.  We  had  guessed  as 
much." 

"  Out  there  are  his  people, — the  wretches !  "  she 


216  GRAUSTARK 

cried,  vindictively,  her  pretty  face  in  a  helpless 
frown.  "  To-day  was  the  day,  you  know,  on  which 
he  was  to  have  his  answer.  He  came  and  knelt  in 
the  audience  chamber.  All  Graustark  had  implored 
her  to  refuse  the  hated  offer,  but  she  bade  him  rise, 
and  there,  before  us  all,  promised  to  become  his 
bride. 

"  The  greatest  sorrow  Graustark  has  ever  known 
grows  out  of  that  decision.  She  is  determined  to 
save  for  us  what  her  father's  folly  lost.  To  do  this, 
she  becomes  the  bride  of  a  vile  wretch,  a  man  who 
soils  her  pure  nature  when  he  thinks  of  her.  Oh, 
we  sought  to  dissuade  her, — we  begged,  we  entreated, 
but  without  avail.  She  will  not  sacrifice  one  foot  of 
Graustark  to  save  herself.  See  the  triumphant 
smiles  on  their  faces — the  brutes !  "  She  pointed 
maliciously  to  the  chattering  visitors  in  the  hall. 
"  Already  they  think  the  castle  is  theirs.  The  union 
of  Graustark  and  Axphain !  Just  what  they  most 
desired,  but  we  could  not  make  her  see  it  so." 

"  Is  the  day  set?  "  asked  Lorry,  bravely,  after  a 
moment's  silent  inspection  of  the  dark-browed  victors. 

"  Yes,  and  there  is  to  be  no  delay.  The  marriage 
contract  has  already  been  signed.  The  date  is  No 
vember  20th,  the  day  on  which  we  are  to  account  to 
Bolaroz  for  our  war  debt.  The  old  Prince's  wed 
ding  gift  to  Graustark  is  to  be  a  document  favoring 
us  with  a  ten  years'  extension,"  she  said,  scorn 
fully. 

"And  where  is  she  to  live?" 

"  Here,  of  course.     She  is  Graustark's  ruler,  and 


THE  BETROTHAL  217 

here  she  insists  on  abiding.  Just  contemplate  our 
court !  Over-run  with  those  Axphain  dogs !  Ah, 
she  has  wounded  Graustark  more  than  she  has  helped 
her." 

There  was  nothing  more  to  be  said  or  done,  so, 
after  a  few  moments,  the  Americans  took  their  de 
parture.  The  Countess  bade  them  farewell,  saying 
that  she  must  return  to  the  Princess. 

"  I'll  see  you  to-morrow,"  said  Anguish,  with  rare 
assurance  and  the  air  of  an  old  and  indispensable 
friend. 

"  And  you,  Mr.  Lorry?  "  she  said,  curiously. 

"  I  am  very  much  occupied,"  he  mumbled. 

"  You  do  wrong  in  seeking  to  deceive  me,"  she 
whispered,  as  Anguish  passed  through  the  door  ahead 
of  them.  "  I  know  why  you  do  not  come." 

"Has  she  told  you?" 

"  I  have  guessed.  Would  that  it  could  have  been 
you  and  not  the  other." 

"  One  cannot  be  a  man  and  a  Prince  at  the  same 
time,  I  fancy,"  he  said,  bitterly. 

"  Nor  can  one  be  a  Princess  and  a  woman." 

Lorry  recalled  the  conversation  in  the  sick-room 
two  weeks  before,  and  smiled  ironically.  The  friendly 
girl  left  them  at  the  door  and  they  passed  out  of  the 
castle. 

"  I  shall  leave  Edelweiss  to-morrow,"  said  one, 
more  to  himself  than  to  his  companion,  as  they 
crossed  the  parade.  The  other  gave  a  start  and  did 
not  look  pleased.  Then  he  instinctively  glanced  to 
ward  the  castle. 


218  GRAUSTARK 

"  The  Princess  is  at  her  window,"  he  cried,  clutch 
ing  Lorry's  arm  and  pointing  back.  But  the  other 
refused  to  turn,  walking  on  blindly. 

"  You  ought  not  to  have  acted  like  that,  Grcn," 
said  Anguish,  a  few  moments  later.  "  She  saw  me 
call  your  attention  to  her,  and  she  saw  you  refuse 
to  look  back.  I  don't  think  that  you  should  have 
hurt  her."  Lorry  did  not  respond,  and  there  was  no 
word  between  them  until  they  were  outside  the  castle 
gates. 

"  You  may  leave  to-morrow,  Lorry,  if  you  like, 
but  I'm  going  to  stay  a  while,"  said  Harry,  a  trifle 
confusedly. 

"  Haven't  you  had  enough  of  the  place?  " 

"  I  don't  care  a  whoop  for  the  place.  You  see,  it's 
this  way :  I'm  just  as  hard  hit  as  you,  and  it  is  not  a 
Princess  that  I  have  to  contend  with." 

"  You  mean  that  you  are  in  love  with  the  Coun 
tess?" 

"  Emphatically." 

"  I'm  sorry  for  you. 

"Think  she'll  turn  me  down?" 

"  Unless  you  buy  a  title  from  one  of  these  miser 
able  Counts  or  Dukes." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that.  These  Counts 
and  Dukes  come  over  and  marry  our  American  girls. 
I  don't  see  why  I  can't  step  in  and  pick  out  a  nice 
little  Countess  if  I  want  to." 

"  She  is  not  as  avaricious  as  the  Counts  and  Dukes. 
I'll  wager.  She  cares  nothing  for  your  money.'' 


THE  BETROTHAL  219 

"  Well,  she's  as  poor  as  a  church  mouse,"  said  the 

other,  doggedly. 

"The  Countess  poor?     How  do  you  know?" 
"  I  asked  her  one  day  and  she  told  me  all  about  it," 

said  Anguish. 


XVI 

A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT 

"  I  feel  like  spending  the  rest  of  my  days  in  that 
monastery  up  there,"  said  Lorry,  after  dinner  that 
evening.  They  were  strolling  about  the  town.  One 
was  determined  to  leave  the  city,  the  other  firm  in 
his  resolve  to  stay.  The  latter  won  the  day  when 
he  shrewdly,  if  explosively,  reminded  the  former  that 
it  was  their  duty  as  men  to  stay  and  protect  the 
Princess  from  the  machinations  of  Gabriel,  that  knave 
of  purgatory.  Lorry,  at  last  recognizing  the  hope 
lessness  of  his  suit,  was  ready  to  throw  down  his 
arms  and  abandon  the  field  to  superior  odds.  His 
presumption  in  aspiring  for  the  hand  of  a  Princess 
began  to  touch  his  sense  of  humor,  and  he  laughed, 
not  very  merrily,  it  is  true,  but  long  and  loudly,  at 
his  folly.  At  first  he  cursed  the  world  and  every 
one  in  it,  giving  up  in  despair,  but  later  he  cursed 
only  himself.  Yet,  as  he  despaired  and  scoffed,  he 
felt  within  himself  the  ever-present  hope  that  luck 
might  turn  the  tide  of  battle. 

This  puny  ray  grew  perceptibly  when  Anguish 
brought  him  to  feel  that  she  needed  his  protection 
from  the  man  who  had  once  sought  to  despoil  and 
who  might  reasonably  be  expected  to  persevere.  He 

220 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          221 

agreed  to  linger  in  Edelweiss,  knowing  that  each  day 
would  add  pain  to  the  torture  he  was  already  suffer 
ing,  his  sole  object  being,  he  convinced  himself,  to 
frustrate  Gabriel's  evil  plans. 

Returning  late  in  the  evening  from  their  stroll, 
they  entered  a  cafe  celebrated  in  Edelweiss.  In  all 
his  life,  Lorry  had  never  known  the  loneliness  that 
makes  death  welcome.  To-night  he  felt  that  he 
could  not  live,  so  maddening  was  the  certainty  that 
he  could  never  regain  joy.  His  heart  bled  with  the 
longing  to  be  near  her  who  dwelt  inside  those  castle 
walls.  He  scoffed  and  grieved,  but  grieved  the  more. 

The  cafe  was  crowded  with  men  and  women.  In 
a  far  corner  sat  a  party  of  Axphain  nobles,  their 
Prince,  a  most  democratic  fellow,  at  the  head  of  a 
long  table.  There  were  songs,  jests  and  boisterous 
laughter.  The  celebration  grew  wilder,  and  Lorry 
and  Anguish  crossed  the  room,  and,  taking  seats 
at  a  table,  ordered  wine  and  cigars,  both  eager  for 
a  closer  view  of  the  Prince.  How  Lorry  loathed 
him! 

Lorenz  was  a  good-looking  young  fellow,  little 
more  than  a  boy.  His  smooth  face  was  flushed,  and 
there  was  about  him  an  air  of  dissipation  that  sug 
gested  depravity  in  its  advanced  stage.  The  faco 
that  might  have  been  handsome  was  the  reflection 
of  a  roue,  dashing,  devilish.  He  was  fair-haired  and 
tall,  taller  than  his  companions  by  half  a  head.  With 
reckless  abandon,  he  drank  and  sang  and  jested,  ar 
rogant  in  his  flighty  merriment.  His  cohorts  were 
not  far  behind  him  in  riotous  wit. 


222  GRAUSTARK 

At  length  one  of  the  revelers,  speaking  in  German, 
called  on  Lorenz  for  a  toast  to  the  Princess  Yetive, 
his  promised  bride.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation 
the  Prince  sprang  to  his  feet,  held  his  glass  aloft, 
and  cried: 

"  Here's  to  the  fairest  of  the  fair,  sweet  Yetive, 
so  hard  to  win,  too  good  to  lose.  She  loves  me, 
God  bless  her  heart!  And  I  love  her,  God  bless  my 
heart,  too !  For  each  kiss  from  her  wondrous  lips 
I  shall  credit  myself  with  one  thousand  gawos. 
That  is  the  price  of  a  kiss." 

"  I'll  give  two  thousand !  "  roared  one  of  the  nobles, 
and  there  was  a  laugh  in  which  the  Prince  joined. 

"  Nay !  I'll  not  sell  them  now.  In  after  years, 
•when  she  has  grown  old  and  her  lips  are  parched 
and  dry  from  the  sippings  I  have  had,  I'll  sell  them 
all  at  a  bargain.  Alas,  she  has  not  yet  kissed  me!  " 

Lorry  heart  bounded  with  joy,  though  his  hands 
were  clenched  in  rage. 

"  She  will  kiss  me  to-morrow.  To-morrow  I  shall 
taste  what  no  other  man  has  touched,  what  all  men 
have  coveted.  And  I'll  be  generous,  gentlemen.  She 
is  so  fair  that  your  foul  mouths  would  blight  with 
but  one  caress  upon  her  tender  lips,  and  yet  you  shall 
not  be  deprived  of  bliss.  I  shall  kiss  her  thrice  for 
each  of  you.  Let  me  count:  thrice  eleven  is  thirty- 
three.  Aye,  thirty-three  of  my  kisses  shall  be 
wasted  for  the  sake  of  my  friends,  lucky  dogs! 
Drink  to  my  Princess !  " 

"  Bravo !  "  cried  the  others,  and  the  glasses  were 
raised  to  lip. 


"Two's  COMPANY,  THREE'S  A  CROWD." 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          228 

A  chair  was  overturned.  The  form  of  a  man 
landed  suddenly  at  the  side  of  the  Prince  and  a 
rough  hand  dashed  the  glass  from  his  fingers,  the 
contents  flying  over  his  immaculate  English  evening 
dress. 

"  Don't  you  dare  drink  to  that  toast !  "  cried  a 
voice  in  his  astonished  ear,  a  voice  speaking  in  ex 
cited  German.  He  whirled  and  saw  a  scowling  face 
beside  his  own,  a  pair  of  gray  eyes  that  flashed 
fire. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  demanded,  anger  replac 
ing  amazement.  The  other  members  of  his  party 
stood  as  if  spellbound. 

"  I  mean  that  you  speak  of  the  Princess  of  Grau- 
stark.  Do  you  understand  that,  you  miserable  cur?  " 

"  Oh !  "  screamed  the  Prince,  convulsed  with  rage, 
starting  back  and  instinctively  reaching  for  the 
sword  he  did  not  carry.  "  You  shall  pay  for  this ! 
I  will  teach  you  to  interfere " 

"  I'll  insult  you  more  decidedly,  just  to  avoid  mis 
apprehension,"  snarled  Lorry,  swinging  his  big  fist 
squarely  upon  the  mouth  of  the  Prince.  His  Royal 
Highness  landed  under  a  table  ten  feet  away. 

Instantly  the  cafe  was  in  an  uproar.  The  stupe 
fied  Axphainians  regained  their  senses  and  a  gen 
eral  assault  was  made  upon  the  hot-headed  Ameri 
can.  He  knocked  another  down,  Harry  Anguish 
coming  to  his  assistance  with  several  savage  blows, 
after  which  the  Graustark  spectators  and  the  waiters 
interfered.  It  was  all  over  in  an  instant,  yet  a  sen 
sation  that  would  live  in  the  gossip  of  generations 


224  GRAUSTARK 

had  been  created.  A  Prince  of  the  realm  had  been 
brutally  assaulted!  Holding  his  jaw,  Lorenz  picked 
himself  from  the  floor,  several  of  his  friends  run 
ning  to  his  aid.  There  was  blood  on  his  lips  and 
chin;  it  trickled  to  his  shirt  front.  For  some  mo 
ments  he  stood  panting,  glaring  at  Lorry's  mocking 
face. 

"  I  am  Lorenz  of  Axphain,  sir,"  he  said  at  last,  his 
voice  quivering  with  suppressed  anger. 

"  It  shall  be  a  pleasure  to  kill  you,  Lorenz,"  ob 
served  his  adversary,  displaying  his  ignorance  of 
lese-majeste. 

Anguish,  pale  and  very  much  concerned,  dragged 
him  away,  the  Prince  leaving  the  cafe  ahead  of 
them,  followed  by  his  chattering,  cursing  com 
panions.  Prince  Gabriel  was  standing  near  the 
door  as  they  passed  out.  He  looked  at  the  Ameri 
cans  sharply,  and  Anguish  detected  something  like 
triumphant  joy  in  his  eyes. 

"  Good  Lord,  Lorry ;  this  means  a  duel !  Don't 
you  know  that?  "  cried  he,  as  they  started  upstairs. 

"  Of  course,  I  do.  And  I'm  going  to  kill  that 
villain,  too,"  exclaimed  Lorry,  loud  enough  to  be 
heard  from  one  end  of  the  room  to  the  other. 

"  This  is  horrible,  horrible !     Let  me  square  it  up 

some  way  if "  began  the  alarmed  Anguish. 

"  Square  it  up !  Look  here,  Harry  Anguish,  I  am 
the  one  who  will  do  the  squaring.  If  he  wants  a 
duel  he  can  have  it  any  old  time  and  in  any  style  he 
desires." 

"He  may  kill  you!" 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          225 

"  Not  while  a  just  God  rules  over  our  destinies. 
I'll  take  my  chances  with  pistols,  and  now  let  me 
tell  you  one  thing,  my  boy;  he'll  never  live  to  touch 
his  lips  to  hers,  nor  will  there  be  a  royal  wedding. 
She  cannot  marry  a  dead  man."  He  was  beside 
himself  with  excitement,  and  it  was  fully  half  an 
hour  before  Anguish  could  bring  him  to  a  sensible 
discussion  of  the  affair.  Gradually  he  became  cool, 
and,  the  fever  once  gone,  he  did  not  lose  his  head 
again. 

"  Choose  pistols  at  ten  paces  and  at  eight  to-mor 
row,"  he  said,  nonchalantly,  as  a  rap  at  the  door  of 
their  apartment  announced  the  arrival  of  the  Prince's 
friend. 

Anguish  admitted  two  well-dressed,  black-bearded 
men,  both  of  whom  had  sat  at  the  Prince's  table  in 
the  cafe.  They  introduced  themselves  as  the  Duke 
of  Mizrox  and  Colonel  Attobawn.  Their  visit  was 
brief,  formal  and  conclusive. 

"  We  understand  that  you  are  persons  of  rank  in 
your  own  America?  "  said  the  Duke  of  Mizrox,  after 
a  few  moments. 

"  We  are  sons  of  business  men,"  responded  Mr. 
Anguish. 

"  Oh,  well,  I  hardly  know.  But  His  Highness  is 
very  willing  to  waive  his  rank,  and  to  grant  you  a 
meeting." 

"  I'm  delighted  by  His  Highness's  condescension, 
which  I  perfectly  understand,"  observed  Mr.  An 
guish.  "Now,  what  have  we  to  settle,  gentlemen?  " 

"  The  detail  of  weapons." 


226  GRAUSTARK 

When  Anguish  announced  that  his  principal  chose 
pistols,  a  strange  gleam  crept  into  the  eyes  of  the 
Axphainians,  and  they  seemed  satisfied.  Colonel 
Attobawn  acted  as  interpreter  during  this  short  but 
very  important  interview  which  was  carried  on  in 
the  Axphain  language.  Lorry  sat  on  the  window- 
sill,  steadfastly  gazing  into  the  night.  The  visitors 
departed  soon,  and  it  was  understood  that  Prince 
Lorenz  would  condescend  to  meet  Mr.  Lorry  at 
eight  o'clock  on  the  next  morning  in  the  valley  be 
yond  the  castle,  two  miles  from  town.  There  was 
no  law  prohibiting  duels  in  Graustark. 

"  Well,  you're  in  for  it,  old  man,"  said  Anguish, 
gloomily,  his  chin  in  his  hands  as  he  fastened  melan 
choly  eyes  upon  his  friend. 

"  Don't  worry  about  me,  Harry.  There's  only  one 
way  for  this  thing  to  end.  His  Royal  Highness  is 
doomed."  Lorry  spoke  with  the  earnestness  and 
conviction  of  one  who  is  permitted  to  see  into  the 
future. 

Calmly,  he  prepared  to  write  some  letters,  not  to 
say  farewell,  but  to  explain  to  certain  persons  the 
cause  of  the  duel  and  to  say  that  he  gloried  in  the 
good  fortune  which  had  presented  itself.  One  of 
these  letters  was  addressed  to  his  mother,  another 
to  the  father  of  Prince  Lorenz,  and  the  last  to  the 
Princess  of  Graustark.  To  the  latter  he  wrote  much 
that  did  not  appear  in  the  epistles  directed  to  the 
others.  Anguish  had  been  in  his  room  more  than 
an  hour,  and  had  frequently  called  to  his  friend  and 
begged  him  to  secure  what  rest  he  could  in  order 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          227 

that  their  nerves  might  be  steady  in  the  morning. 
But  it  was  not  until  after  midnight  that  the  duelist 
sealed  the  envelopes,  direced  them  and  knocked  at 
his  second's  door  to  say: 

"  I  shall  entrust  these  letters  to  you,  Harry.  You 
must  see  that  they  start  on  their  way  to-morrow." 

Then  he  went  to  bed  and  to  sleep. 

At  six  his  second,  who  had  slept  but  little,  called 
him.  They  dressed  hurriedly  and  prepared  for  the 
ride  to  the  valley.  Their  own  new  English  bulldog 
revolvers  were  to  serve  as  weapons  in  the  coming 
combat,  and  a  carriage  was  to  be  in  waiting  for 
them  in  a  side  street  at  seven  o'clock. 

Before  leaving  their  room  they  heard  evidences  of 
a  commotion  in  the  hotel,  and  were  apprehensive  lest 
the  inmates  had  learned  of  the  duel  and  were  making 
ready  to  follow  the  fighters  to  the  appointed  spot. 
There  was  a  confusion  of  voices,  the  sound  of  rush 
ing  feet,  the  banging  of  doors,  the  noise  increasing 
as  the  two  men  stepped  into  the  open  hall.  They 
were  amazed  to  see  half-dressed  men  and  women 
standing  or  running  about  the  halls,  intense  excite 
ment  in  their  faces  and  in  their  actions.  White 
uniformed  policemen  were  flocking  into  the  corri 
dors  ;  soldiers,  coatless  and  hatless,  fresh  from  their 
beds,  came  dashing  upon  the  scene.  There  were  ex 
cited  cries,  angry  shouts  and,  more  mystifying  than 
all,  horrified  looks  and  whispers. 

"  What  has  happened?  "  asked  Lorry,  stopping 
near  the  door 

"  It  can't  be  a  fire.    Look !    The  door  to  that  room 


228  GRAUSTARK 

down  there  seems  to  be  the  center  of  attraction. 
Hold  on!  Don't  go  over  there,  Lorry.  There  may 
be  something  to  unnerve  you,  and  that  must  not 
happen  now.  Let  us  go  down  this  stairway — it  leads 
to  a  side  entrance,  I  think."  They  were  half  way 
down  the  stairs  when  the  thunder  of  rushing  feet 
in  the  hall  above  came  to  their  ears,  causing  them  to 
hesitate  between  curiosity  and  good  judgment. 
"  They  are  coming  this  way." 

"  Hear  them  howl !  What  the  devil  can  be  the 
cause  of  all  this  rumpus?  "  cried  the  other. 

At  that  instant  half  a  dozen  police  guards  ap 
peared  at  the  head  of  the  stairs.  Upon  seeing  the 
Americans,  they  stopped  and  turned  as  if  to  oppose 
a  foe  approaching  from  the  opposite  direction. 
Baron  Dangloss  separated  himself  from  the  white 
coats  above  and  called  to  the  men  below.  In  alarm, 
they  started  for  the  street  door.  He  was  with  them 
in  an  instant,  his  usually  red  face  changing  from 
white  to  purple,  his  anxious  eyes  darting  first  toward 
the  group  above  and  then  toward  the  bewildered 
Americans. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  demanded  Lorry. 

"  There !  See !  "  cried  Dangloss,  and  even  as  he 
spoke  a  conflict  began  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  the 
police,  augmented  by  a  few  soldiers,  struggling 
against  a  howling,  enraged  mass  of  Axphainians. 
Dangloss  dragged  his  reluctant  charges  through  a 
small  door,  and  they  found  themselves  in  the  bag 
gage-room  of  the  hotel.  Despite  their  queries,  he 
offered  no  explanation,  but  rushed  them  along,  pass- 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          229 

ing  out  of  the  opposite  door,  down  a  short  stairway 
and  into  a  side  street.  A  half  dozen  police-guards 
were  awaiting  them,  and  before  they  could  catch  the 
faintest  idea  of  what  it  all  meant,  they  were  running 
with  the  officers  through  an  alley,  as  if  pursued  by 
demons. 

"  Now,  what  in  thunder  does  this  mean?  "  panted 
Lorry,  attempting  to  slacken  the  pace.  He  and 
Anguish  were  just  beginning  to  regain  their  senses. 

"  Do  not  stop !  Do  not  stop !  "  wheezed  Dangloss. 
"  You  must  get  to  a  place  of  safety.  We  cannot 
prevent  something  dreadful  happening  if  you  are 
caught ! " 

"  If  we  are  caught !  "  cried  Anguish.  "  Why,  what 
have  we  done?  " 

"  Unhand  me,  Baron  Dangloss !  This  is  an  out 
rage  !  "  shouted  Lorry. 

"  For  God's  sake,  be  calm !  We  are  befriending 
you.  When  we  reach  the  Tower,  where  you  will  be 
safe,  I  shall  explain,"  gasped  the  panting  Chief  of 
Police.  A  few  moments  later  they  were  inside  the 
prison  gates,  angry,  impatient,  fatigued. 

"  Is  this  a  plan  to  prevent  the  duel  ?  "  demanded 
Lorry,  turning  upon  the  chief,  who  had  dropped 
limply  into  a  chair  and  was  mopping  his  brow.  When 
he  could  find  his  breath  enough  to  answer,  Dangloss 
did  so,  and  he  might  as  well  have  thrown  a  bomb 
shell  at  their  feet. 

"  There'll  be  no  duel.    Prince  Lorenz  is  dead !  " 

"  Dead !  "  gasped  the  others. 

"  Found  dead  in  his  bed,  stabbed  to  the  heart !  " 


230  GRAUSTARK 

exclaimed  the  chief.  "  We  have  saved  you  from  his 
friends,  gentlemen,  but  I  must  say  that  you  are  still 
in  a  tight  place." 

He  then  related  to  them  the  whole  story.  Just 
before  six  o'clock  Mizrox  had  gone  to  the  Prince's 
room  to  prepare  him  for  the  duel.  The  door  was 
closed  but  unlocked,  as  he  found  after  repeated 
knot-kings.  Lorenz  was  lying  on  the  bed,  undressed 
and  covered  with  blood.  The  horrified  Duke  made 
a  hasty  examination  and  found  that  he  was  dead.  A 
dagger  had  been  driven  to  his  heart  as  he  slept.  The 
hotel  was  aroused,  the  police  called,  and  the  excite 
ment  was  at  its  highest  pitch  when  the  two  friends 
came  from  their  room  a  few  minutes  after  six. 

"  But  what  have  we  to  do  with  this  dreadful 
affair?  Why  are  we  rushed  off  here  like  crim 
inals?  "  asked  Lorry,  a  feeling  of  cruel  gladness 
growing  out  of  the  knowledge  that  Lorenz  was 
dead  and  that  the  Princess  was  freed  from  her  com 
pact. 

"  My  friend,"  said  Dangloss,  slowly,  "  you  are  ac 
cused  of  the  murder." 

Lorry  was  too  much  stunned  to  be  angry,  too 
weak  to  protest.  For  some  moments  after  the  blow 
fell  he  and  Anguish  were  speechless.  Then  came 
the  protestations,  the  rage  and  the  threats,  through 
all  of  which  Dangloss  sat  calmly.  Finally  he  sought 
to  quiet  them,  partially  succeeding. 

"  Mr.  Lorry,  the  evidence  is  very  strong  against 
you,  but  you  shall  not  be  unjustly  treated.  You  are 
not  a  prisoner  as  yet.  In  Graustark  a  man  who  is 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          231 

accused  of  murder,  and  who  was  not  seen  by  any 
one  to  commit  the  crime,  cannot  be  legally  arrested 
until  an  accuser  shall  go  before  the  Princess,  who 
is  also  High  Priestess,  and  swear  on  his  life  that  he 
knows  the  guilty  man.  The  man  who  so  accuses 
agrees  to  forfeit  his  own  life  in  case  the  other  is 
proved  innocent.  If  you  are  to  be  charged  with  the 
murder  of  the  Prince,  some  one  must  go  before  the 
Princess  and  take  oath — his  life  against  yours.  I 
am  holding  you  here,  sir,  because  it  is  the  only  place 
in  which  you  are  safe.  Lorenz's  friends  would  have 
torn  you  to  pieces  had  we  not  found  you  first.  You 
are  not  prisoners,  and  you  may  depart  if  you  think 
it  wise." 

"  But,  my  God,  how  can  they  accuse  me?  I  knew 
nothing  of  the  murder  until  I  reached  this  place," 
cried  Lorry,  stopping  short  in  his  restless  walk  be 
fore  the  little  Baron. 

"  So  you  say,  but " 

"  If  you  accuse  me,  damn  you,  I'll  kill  you !  "  whis 
pered  Lorry,  holding  himself  tense.  Anguish  caught 
and  held  him. 

"  Be  calm,  sir,"  cautioned  Dangloss.  "  I  may  have 
my  views,  but  I  am  not  willing  to  take  oath  before 
Her  Royal  Highness.  Listen:  You  were  heard  to 
say  you  would  kill  him ;  you  began  the  fight ;  you 
were  the  aggressor,  and  there  is  no  one  else  on 
earth,  it  is  said,  who  could  have  wished  to  murder 
him.  The  man  who  did  the  stabbing  entered  the 
room  through  the  hall  door  and  left  by  the  same. 
There  are  drops  of  blood  in  the  carpet,  leading  direct 


232  GRAUSTARK 

to  your  door.  On  your  knob  are  the  prints  of 
bloody  fingers  where  you — or  some  one  else — placed 
his  hand  in  opening  the  door.  It  was  this  discovery, 
made  by  me  and  my  men,  that  fully  convinced  the 
enraged  friends  of  the  dead  Prince  that  you  were 
guilty.  When  we  opened  the  door  you  were  gone. 
Then  came  the  search,  the  fight  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs,  and  the  race  to  the  prison.  The  reason  I 
saved  you  from  that  mob  should  be  plain  to  you.  I 
love  my  Princess,  and  I  do  not  forget  that  you 
risked  your  life — each  of  you — to  protect  her.  I 
have  done  all  that  I  can,  gentlemen,  to  protect  you 
in  return.  It  means  death  to  you  if  you  fall  into 
the  hands  of  his  followers  just  now.  A  few  hours 
will  cool  them  off,  no  doubt,  but  now — now  it  would 
be  madness  to  face  them.  I  know  not  what  they 
have  done  to  my  men  at  the  hotel ! — perhaps  butch 
ered  them." 

There  was  anxiety  in  Dangloss's  voice  and  there 
was  honesty  in  his  keen  old  eyes.  His  charges  now 
saw  the  situation  clearly  and  apologized  warmly  for 
the  words  they  had  uttered  under  the  pressure  of 
somewhat  extenuating  circumstances.  They  ex 
pressed  a  willingness  to  remain  in  the  prison  until 
the  excitement  abated  or  until  some  one  swore  his 
life  against  the  supposed  murderer.  They  were 
virtually  prisoners,  and  they  knew  it  well.  Further 
more,  they  could  see  that  Baron  Dangloss  believed 
Lorry  guilty  of  the  murder;  protestation  of  inno 
cence  had  been  politely  received  and  politely  dis 
regarded. 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          233 

"'Do  you  expect  one  of  his  friends  to  take  the 
oath  ?  "  asked  Lorry. 

"  Yes ;  it  is  sure  to  come." 

"  But  you  will  not  do  so  yourself?  " 

"  No." 

"  I  thank  you,  captain,  for  I  see  that  you  believe 
me  guilty." 

"  I  do  not  say  you  are  guilty,  remember,  but  I 
will  say  that  if  you  did  murder  Prince  Lorenz  you 
have  made  the  people  of  -Graustark  re j  oice  from  the 
bottoms  of  their  hearts,  and  you  will  be  eulogized 
from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the  other." 

"  Hanged  and  eulogized,"  said  Lorry,  grimly. 


XVI 

IN  THE  TOWER 

The  two  captives  who  were  not  prisoners  were  so 
dazed  by  the  unexpected  events  of  the  morning  that 
they  did  not  realize  the  vast  seriousness  of  the  situa 
tion  for  hours.  Then  it  dawned  upon  them  that 
appearances  were  really  against  them,  and  that,  they 
were  alone  in  a  land  far  beyond  the  reach  of  help 
from  home.  One  circumstance  puzzled  them  with 
its  damning  mystery: — how  came  the  blood  stains 
upon  the  door-knob?  Dangloss  courteously  dis 
cussed  this  strange  and  unfortunate  feature  with 
them,  but  with  ill-concealed  skepticism.  It  was  evi 
dent  that  his  mind  was  clear  in  regard  to  the  whole 
affair. 

Anguish  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  real  murderer 
had  stained  the  knob  intentionally,  aiming  to  cast 
suspicion  on  the  man  who  had  been  challenged.  The 
assassin  had  an  object  in  leaving  those  convicting 
finger-marks  where  they  would  do  the  most  damage. 
He  cither  desired  the  arrest  and  death  of  the  Ameri 
can  or  hoped  that  his  own  guilt  might  escape  atten 
tion  through  the  misleading  evidence.  Lorry  held, 
from  his  deductions,  that  the  crime  had  been  com 
mitted  by  a  fanatic  who  loved  his  sovereign  too  de- 

234 


IN  THE  TOWER  235 

votedly  to  see  her  wedded  to  Lorenz.  Then  why 
should  he  wantonly  cast  guilt  upon  the  man  who  had 
been  her  protector,  objected  Dangloss. 

The  police  guards  came  in  from  the  hotel  about 
ten  o'clock,  bearing  marks  of  an  ugly  conflict  with 
the  Axphainians.  They  reported  that  the  avengers 
had  been  quelled  for  the  time  being,  but  that  a  depu 
tation  had  already  started  for  the  castle  to  lay  the 
matter  before  the  Princess.  Officers  had  searched 
the  rooms  of  the  Americans  for  blood  stains,  but  had 
found  no  sign  of  them. 

"  Did  you  find  bloody  water  in  which  hands  had 
been  washed?  "  asked  Anguish. 

"  No,"  responded  one  of  the  guards.  "  There  was 
nothing  to  be  found  in  the  bowls  and  jars  except 
soapy  water.  There  is  not  a  blood  stain  in  the  room, 
Captain." 

"  That  shakes  your  theory  a  little,  eh?  "  cried  An 
guish,  triumphantly.  "  Examine  Mr.  Lorry's  hands 
and  see  if  there  is  blood  upon  them."  Lorry's  hands 
were  white  and  uncontaminated.  Dangloss  wore  a 
pucker  on  his  brow. 

Shortly  afterward  a  crowd  of  Axphain  men  came 
to  the  prison  gates  and  demanded  the  person  of 
Grenfall  Lorry,  departing  after  an  ugly  show  of 
rage.  Curious  Edelweiss  citizens  stood  afar  off, 
watching  the  walls  and  windows  eagerly. 

"  This  may  cost  Edelweiss  a  great  deal  of  trouble, 
gentlemen,  but  there  is  more  happiness  here  this 
morning  than  the  city  has  known  in  months.  Every 
body  believes  you  killed  him,  Mr.  Lorry,  but  they 


236  GRAU  STARK 

all  love  you  for  the  deed,"  said  Dangloss,  returning 
at  noon  from  a  visit  to  the  hotel  and  a  ride  through 
the  streets.  "  The  Prince's  friends  have  been  at  the 
castle  since  nine  o'clock,  and  I  am  of  the  opinion  that 
they  are  having  a  hard  time  with  the  High 
Priestess." 

"  God  bless  her !  "  cried  Lorry. 

"  The  town  is  crazy  with  excitement.  Messengers 
have  been  sent  to  old  Prince  Bolaroz  to  inform  him 
of  the  murder  and  to  urge  him  to  hasten  hither, 
where  he  may  fully  enjoy  the  vengeance  that  is  to 
be  wreaked  upon  his  son's  slayer.  I  have  not  seen 
a  wilder  time  in  Edelweiss  since  the  close  of  the 
siege,  fifteen  years  ago.  By  my  soul,  you  are  in  a 
bad  box,  sir.  They  are  lurking  in  every  part  of 
town  to  kill  you  if  you  attempt  to  leave  the  Tower 
before  the  Princess  signs  an  order  to  restrain  you 
legally.  Your  life,  outside  these  walls,  would  not 
be  worth  a  snap  of  the  fingers." 

Captain  Quinnox,  of  the  Princess's  bodyguard, 
accompanied  by  half  a  dozen  of  his  men,  rode  up  to 
the  prison  gates  about  two  o'clock  and  was  promptly 
admitted.  The  young  captain  was  in  sore  distress. 

"  The  Duke  of  Mizrox  has  sworn  that  you  are  the 
murderer,  Mr.  Lorry,  and  stakes  his  life,"  said  he, 
after  greetings.  "  Her  Highness  has  just  placed  in 
my  hands  an  order  for  your  arrest  as  the  assassin  of 
Prince  Lorenz." 

Lorry  turned  as  pale  as  death.  "  You — you  don't 
mean  to  say  that  she  has  signed  a  warrant — that  she 
believes  me  guilty,"  he  cried,  aghast. 


IN  THE  TOWER  237 

"  She  has  signed  the  warrant,  but  very  much 
against  her  inclination.  Count  Halfont  informed 
me  that  she  pleaded  and  argued  with  the  Duke  for 
hours,  seeking  to  avert  the  act  which  is  bound  to 
give  pain  to  all  of  us.  He  was  obdurate,  and  threat 
ened  to  carry  complaint  to  Bolaroz,  who  would  in 
stantly  demand  satisfaction.  As  the  Duke  is  willing 
to  die  if  you  are  proved  innocent,  there  was  no  other 
course  left  for  her  than  to  dictate  and  sign  this  royal 
decree.  Captain  Dangloss,  I  am  instructed  to  give 
you  these  papers.  One  is  the  warrant  for  Mr. 
Lorry's  arrest,  the  other  orders  you  to  assume 
charge  of  him  and  to  place  him  in  confinement  until 
the  day  of  trial." 

While  Quinnox  was  making  this  statement,  the 
accused  stood  with  bowed  head  and  throbless  heart. 
He  did  not  see  the  captain's  hand  tremble  as  he 
passed  the  documents  to  Dangloss,  nor  did  he  hear 
the  unhappy  sigh  that  came  from  the  latter's  lips. 
Anguish,  fiery  and  impulsive,  was  not  to  be  sub 
dued. 

"Is  there  no  warrant  for  my  arrest?"  he  de 
manded. 

"  There  is  not.  You  are  at  liberty  to  go,  sir,"  re 
sponded  Quinnox. 

"  I'd  like  to  know  why  there  isn't.  I'm  just  a* 
guilty  as  Lorry." 

"  The  Duke  charges  the  crime  to  but  one  of  you. 
Baron  Dangloss,  will  you  read  the  warrant?  " 

The  old  chief  read  the  decree  ot  the  Princess  slowly 
and  impressively.  It  was  as  follows : 


238  GRAUSTARK 

"  Jacot,  Duke  of  Mizrox,  before  his  God  and  on 
his  life,  swears  that  Grenfall  Lorry  did  foully,  ma 
liciously  and  designedly  slay  Lorenz,  Prince  of  Ax- 
phain,  on  the  20th  day  of  October,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  189 — ,  and  in  the  city  of  Edelweiss,  Grau- 
stark.  It  is  therefore  my  decree  that  Grenfall  Lorry 
be  declared  murderer  of  Lorenz,  Prince  of  Axphain, 
until  he  be  proved  innocent,  in  which  instance,  his 
accuser,  Jacot,  Duke  of  Mizrox,  shall  forfeit  his 
life,  according  to  the  law  of  this  land  providing  pen 
alty  for  false  witness,  and  by  which  he,  himself,  has 
sworn  to  abide  faithfully. 

"  Signed :    Yetive." 

There  was  silence  for  some  moments,  broken  by 
the  dreary  tones  of  the  accused. 

"  What  chance  have  I  to  prove  my  innocence?  "  he 
asked,  hopelessly. 

"  The  same  opportunity  that  he  has  to  prove  your 
guilt.  The  Duke  must,  according  to  our  law,  prove 
you  guilty  beyond  all  doubt,"  spoke  the  young  cap 
tain. 

"When  am  I  to  be  tried?" 

"  Here  is  my  order  from  the  Princess,"  said  Dan- 
gloss,  glancing  over  the  other  paper.  "  It  says  that 
I  am  to  confine  you  securely  and  to  produce  you 
before  the  tribunal  on  the  26th  day  of  October." 

"  A  week !  That  is  a  long  time,"  said  Lorry. 
"  May  I  have  permission  to  see  the  signature  affixed 
to  those  papers?"  Dangloss  handed  them  to  him. 
He  glanced  at  the  name  he  loved,  written  by  the 


IN  THE  TOWER  239 

hand  he  had  kissed,  now  signing  away  his  life,  per 
haps.  A  mist  came  over  his  eyes  and  a  strange  joy 
filled  his  soul.  The  hand  that  signed  the  name  had 
trembled  in  doing  so,  had  trembled  pitifully.  The 
heart  had  not  guided  the  fingers.  "  I  am  your  pris- 
soner,  Captain  Dangloss.  Do  with  me  as  you  will," 
he  said,  simply. 

"  I  regret  that  I  am  obliged  to  place  you  in  a  cell, 
sir,  and  under  guard.  Believe  me,  I  am  sorry  this 
happened.  I  am  your  friend,"  said  the  old  man, 
gloomily. 

"  And  I,"  cried  Quinnox. 

"  But  what  is  to  become  of  me?  "  cried  poor  An 
guish,  half  in  tears.  "  I  won't  leave  you,  Gren.  It's 
an  infernal  outrage !  " 

"  Be  cool,  Harry,  and  it  will  come  out  right.  He 
has  no  proof,  you  know,"  said  the  other,  wringing 
his  friend's  hand. 

"  But  I'll  have  to  stay  here,  too.  If  I  go  outside 
these  walls,  I'll  be  killed  like  a  dog,"  protested 
Harry. 

"  You  are  to  have  a  guard  of  six  men  while  you 
are  in  Edelweiss,  Mr.  Anguish.  Those  are  the  in 
structions  of  the  Princess.  I  do  not  believe  the 
scoundrels — I  mean  the  Axphain  nobles — will  molest 
you  if  you  do  not  cross  them.  When  you  are  ready 
to  go  to  your  hotel,  I  will  accompany  you." 

Half  an  hour  later  Lorry  was  in  a  cell  from  which 
there  could  be  no  escape,  while  Anguish  was  riding 
toward  the  hotel,  surrounded  by  Graustark  soldiers. 
He  had  sworn  to  his  friend  that  he  would  unearth 


240  GRAUSTARK 

the  murderer  if  it  lay  within  the  power  of  man.  Cap 
tain  Dangloss  heard  the  oath  and  smiled  sadly. 

At  the  castle  there  was  depression  and  relief,  grief 
and  joy.  The  royal  family,  the  nobility,  even  the 
servants,  soldiers  and  attendants,  rejoiced  in  the 
stroke  that  had  saved  the  Princess  from  a  fate  worse 
than  death.  Her  preserver's  misfortune  was  de 
plored  deeply;  expressions  of  sympathy  were  whis 
pered  among  them  all,  high  and  low.  The  Ax- 
phainians  were  detested — the  Prince  most  of  all — 
and  the  crime  had  come  as  a  joy  instead  of  a  shock. 
There  were,  of  course,  serious  complications  for  the 
future,  involving  ugly  conditions  that  were  bound 
to  force  themselves  upon  the  land.  The  dead  man's 
father  would  demand  the  life  of  his  murderer.  If 
not  Lorry,  who?  Graustark  would  certainly  be 
asked  to  produce  the  man  who  killed  the  heir  to  the 
throne  of  Axphain,  or  to  make  reparation — bloody 
reparation,  no  doubt. 

In  the  privacy  of  her  room  the  stricken  Princess 
collapsed  from  the  effects  of  the  ordeal.  Her  poor 
brain  had  striven  in  vain  to  invent  means  by  which 
she  might  save  the  man  she  loved.  She  had  sur 
rendered  to  the  inevitable  because  there  was  justice 
in  the  claims  of  the  inexorable  Duke  and  his  vin 
dictive  friends.  Against  her  will,  she  had  issued 
the  decree,  but  not,  however,  until  she  had  learned 
that  he  was  in  prison  and  unable  to  fly  the  country. 
The  hope  that  delay  might  aid  him  in  escaping  was 
rudely  crushed  when  her  uncle  informed  her  of 
Lorry's  whereabouts.  She  signed  the  decree  as  if 


IN  THE  TOWER  241 

in  a  dream,  a  nightmare,  with  trembling  hand  and 
broken  heart.  His  death  warrant!  And  yet,  like 
all  others,  she  believed  him  guilty.  Guilty  for  her 
sake  1  And  this  was  how  she  rewarded  him. 

Mizrox  and  his  friends  departed  in  triumph,  re 
venge  written  on  every  face.  She  walked  blindly, 
numbly,  to  her  room,  assisted  by  her  uncle,  the 
Count.  Without  observing  her  aunt  or  the  Countess 
Dagmar,  she  staggered  to  the  window  and  looked 
below.  The  Axphainians  were  crossing  the  parade 
ground  jubilantly.  Then  came  the  clatter  of  a 
horse's  hoof,  and  Captain  Quinnox,  with  the  fatal 
papers  in  his  possession,  galloped  down  the  avenue. 
She  clutched  the  curtains  distractedly,  and,  leaning 
far  forward,  cried  from  the  open  window: 

"  Quinnox !  Quinnox !  Come  back !  I  forbid — 
I  forbid !  Destroy  those  papers  !  Quinnox !  " 

But  Quinnox  heard  not  the  pitiful  wail.  He  rode 
on,  his  dark  face  stamped  with  pity  for  the  ma» 
whose  arrest  he  was  to  make.  Had  he  heard  the 
cry  from  his  sovereign,  the  papers  would  have  been 
in  her  destroying  grasp  with  the  speed  that  comes 
only  to  the  winged  birds.  Seeing  him  disappear 
down  the  avenue,  she  threw  her  hands  to  her  head 
and  sank  back  with  a  moan,  fainting.  Count  Hal- 
font  caught  her  in  his  arms.  It  was  nightfall  before 
she  was  fully  revived.  The  faithful  young  Countess 
clung  to  her  caressingly,  lovingly,  uttering  words  of 
consolation  until  long  after  the  shades  of  night  had 
dropped.  They  were  alone  in  the  Princess's  boudoir, 
seated  together  upon  the  divan,  the  tired  head  of  the 


242  GRAUSTARK 

one  resting  wearily  against  the  shoulder  of  the  other. 
Gentle  fingers  toyed  with  the  tawny  tresses,  and  a 
soft  voice  lulled  with  its  consoling  promise  of  hope. 
Wide  and  dark  and  troubled  were  the  eyes  of  the 
ruler  of  Graustark. 

An  attendant  appeared  and  announced  the  arrival 
of  one  of  the  American  gentlemen,  who  insisted  on 
seeing  Her  Royal  Highness.  The  card  on  the  tray 
bore  the  name  of  Harry  Anguish.  At  once  the  Prin 
cess  was  aflutter  with  eagerness  and  excitement. 

"  Anguish !  Show  him  to  this  room  quickly.  Oh, 
Dagmar,  he  brings  word  from  him!  He  comes 
from  him!  Why  is  he  so  slow?  Ach,  I  cannot 
wait !  " 

Far  from  being  slow,  Anguish  was  exceedingly 
swift  in  approaching  the  room  to  which  he  feared 
admittance  might  be  denied.  He  strode  boldly,  im 
petuously  into  the  apartment,  his  feet  muddy,  his 
clothing  splashed  with  rain,  his  appearance  far  from 
that  of  a  gentleman. 

"  Tell  me!  What  is  it?  "  she  cried,  as  he  stopped 
in  the  center  of  the  room  and  glared  at  her. 

"  I  don't  care  whether  you  like  it,  and  it  doesn't 
matter  if  you  are  a  Princess,"  he  exploded,  "  there 
are  a  few  things  I'm  going  to  say  to  you.  First,  I 
want  to  know  what  kind  of  a  woman  you  are  to 

throw  into  prison  a  man  like — like Oh,  it 

drives  me  crazy  to  think  of  it!  I  don't  care  if  you 
are  insulted.  He's  a  friend  of  mine,  and  he  is  no 
more  guilty  than  you  are,  and  I  want  to  know  what 
you  mean  by  ordering  his  arrest?  " 


IN  THE  TOWER  243 

Her  lips  parted  as  if  to  speak,  her  face  grew 
deathly  pale,  her  fingers  clutched  the  edge  of  the 
divan.  She  stared  at  him  piteously,  unable  to  move, 
to  speak.  Then  the  blue  eyes  filled  with  tears,  a  sob 
came  to  her  lips,  and  her  tortured  heart  made  a  last, 
brave  effort  at  defense. 

"  I — I — Mr.  Anguish,  you  wrong  me, — I — I " 

She  tried  to  whisper  through  the  closed  throat  and 
stiffened  lips.  Words  failed  her,  but  she  pleaded 
with  those  wet,  imploring  eyes.  His  heart  melted, 
his  anger  was  swept  away  in  a  twinkling.  He  saw 
that  he  had  wounded  her  most  unjustly. 

"  You  brute !  "  hissed  the  Countess,  with  flashing, 
indignant  eyes,  throwing  her  arms  about  the  Prin 
cess  and  drawing  her  head  to  her  breast. 

"  Forgive  me,"  he  cried,  sinking  to  his  knee  before 
the  Princess,  shame  and  contrition  in  his  face.  "  I 
have  been  half  mad  this  whole  day,  and  I  have 
thought  harshly  of  you.  I  now  see  that  you  are 
suffering  more  intensely  than  I.  I  love  Lorry,  and 
that  is  my  only  excuse.  He  is  being  foully  wronged, 
Your  Highness,  foully  wronged." 

"  I  deserve  your  contempt,  after  all.  Whether  he 
be  guilty  or  innocent,  I  should  have  refused  to  sign 
the  decree.  It  is  too  late  now.  I  have  signed  away 
something  that  is  very  dear  to  me, — his  life.  You 
are  his  friend  and  mine.  Can  you  tell  me  what  he 
thinks  of  me — what  he  says — how  he  feels?  "  She 
asked  the  triple  question  breathlessly. 

"  He  believes  you  were  forced  into  the  act,  and 
said  as  much  to  me.  And  how  he  feels,  I  can  only 


244  GRAUSTARK 

ask  how  you  would  feel  if  you  were  in  his  place, 
innocent  and  yet  almost  sure  of  conviction.  These 
friends  of  Axphain  will  resort  to  any  subterfuge, 
now  that  one  of  their  number  has  staked  his  life. 
Mark  my  word,  some  one  will  deliberately  swear 
that  he  saw  Grcnfall  Lorry  strike  the  blow  and  that 
will  be  as  villainous  a  lie  as  man  ever  told.  What 
I  am  here  for,  Your  Highness,  is  to  ask  if  that  de 
cree  cannot  be  withdrawn." 

"  Alas,  it  cannot !  I  would  gladly  order  his  release 
if  I  could,  but  you  can  see  what  that  would  mean 
to  us.  A  war,  Mr.  Anguish,"  she  sighed,  miserably. 

"  But  you  will  not  see  an  innocent  man  con 
demned?  "  cried  he,  again  indignant. 

"  I  have  only  your  statement  for  that,  sir,  if  you 
will  pardon  me.  I  hope,  from  the  bottom  of  mv 
heart,  that  he  did  not  murder  the  Prince  after  being 
honorably  challenged." 

"  He  is  no  coward !  "  thundered  Anguish,  startling 
both  women  with  his  vehemence.  "  I  say  he  did  not 
kill  the  Prince,  but  I'll  stake  my  life  he  would  have 
done  so  had  they  met  this  morning.  There's  no  use 
trying  to  have  the  decree  rescinded,  I  see,  so  I'll  take 
my  departure.  I  don't  blame  you,  Your  Highness ; 
it  is  your  duty,  of  course.  But  it's  pretty  hard  on 
Lorry,  that's  all." 

"  He  may  be  able  to  clear  himself,"  suggested  the 
Countess,  nervously. 

"  And  he  may  not,  so  there  you  have  it.  What 
chance  have  two  Americans  over  here  with  every 
body  against  us?  " 


IN  THE  TOWER  245 

"  Stop !  You  shall  not  say  that !  He  shall  have  full 
justice,  at  any  cost,  and  there  is  one  here  who  is  not 
against  him,"  cried  the  Princess,  with  flashing  eyes. 

"  I  am  aware  that  everybody  admires  him  because 
he  has  done  Graustark  a  service  in  ridding  it  of 
something  obnoxious — a  prospective  husband.  But 
that  does  not  get  him  out  of  jail." 

"  You  are  unkind  again,"  said  the  Princess,  slowly. 
"  I  chose  my  husband,  and  you  assume  much  when 
you  intimate  that  I  am  glad  because  he  was  mur 
dered." 

"  Do  not  be  angry,"  cried  the  Countess,  im 
patiently.  "  We  all  regret  what  has  happened,  and  I, 
for  one,  hope  that  Mr.  Lorry  may  escape  from  the 
Tower  and  laugh  forevermore  at  his  pursuers.  If  he 
could  only  dig  his  way  out !  " 

The  Princess  shot  a  startled  look  toward  the 
speaker  as  a  new  thought  entered  her  weary  brain ; 
a  short,  involuntary  gasp  told  that  it  had  lodged 
and  would  grow.  She  laughed  at  the  idea  of  an 
escape  from  the  Tower,  but  as  she  laughed  a  tiny 
spot  of  red  began  to  spread  upon  her  cheek,  and  her 
eyes  glistened  strangely. 

Anguish  remained  with  them  for  half  an  hour. 
When  he  left  the  castle  it  was  with  a  more  hopeful 
feeling  in  his  breast.  In  the  Princess's  bed-chamber 
late  that  night,  two  girls,  in  loose,  silken  gowns,  sat 
before  a  low  fire  and  talked  of  something  that 
caused  the  Countess  to  tremble  with  excitement 
when  first  her  pink-cheeked  sovereign  mentioned  it  in 
confidence. 


XVIII 

THE  FLIGHT  AT  MIDNIGHT 

Lorry's  cell  was  as  comfortable  as  a  cell  could  be 
made  through  the  efforts  of  a  kindly  jailer  and  a 
sympathetic  Chief  of  Police.  It  was  not  located  in 
the  dungeon,  but  high  in  the  tower,  a  little  rock- 
bound  room,  with  a  single  barred  window  far  above 
the  floor.  There  was  a  bed  of  iron  upon  which  had 
been  placed  a  clean  mattress,  and  there  was  a  little 
chair.  The  next  day  after  his  arrest  a  comfortable 
arm  chair  replaced  the  latter;  a  table,  a  lamp,  some 
books,  flowers,  a  bottle  of  wine  and  some  fruit  found 
their  way  to  his  lonely  apartment — whoever  may 
have  sent  them.  Harry  Anguish  was  admitted  to 
the  cell  during  the  afternoon.  He  promptly  and 
truthfully  denied  all  interest  in  the  donations,  but 
smiled  wisely. 

He  reported  that  most  of  the  Axphain  contingent 
was  still  in  town ;  a  portion  had  hurried  home,  carry 
ing  the  news  to  the  old  Prince,  instructed  by  the 
aggressive  Mizrox  to  fetch  him  forthwith  to  Edel 
weiss,  where  his  august  presence  was  necessary  be 
fore  the  twenty-sixth.  Those  who  remained  in  the 
Graustark  capital  were  quiet  but  still  in  a  threatening 
mood.  The  Princess,  so  Harry  informed  the  pris- 

246 


THE  FLIGHT  AT  MIDNIGHT         247 

oner,  sent  sincere  expressions  of  sympathy  and  the 
hope  that  all  would  end  well  with  him.  Count  Hal- 
font,  the  Countess,  Gaspon  and  many  others  had 
asked  to  be  remembered.  The  prisoner  smiled  wear 
ily  and  promised  that  they  should  not  be  forgotten 
in  a  week — which  was  as  far  as  he  expected  his 
memory  to  extend. 

Late  in  the  evening,  as  he  was  lying  on  his  bed, 
staring  at  the  shadowy  ceiling  and  puzzling  his  brain 
with  most  oppressive  uncertainties,  the  rattle  of  keys 
in  the  lock  announced  the  approach  of  visitors.  The 
door  swung  open,  and  through  the  grate  he  saw 
Dangloss  and  Quinnox.  The  latter  wore  a  long 
military  rain  coat  and  had  just  come  in  from  a 
drenching  downpour.  Lorry's  reverie  had  been  so 
deep  that  he  had  not  heard  the  thunder  nor  the  howl 
ing  of  the  winds.  Springing  to  his  feet,  he  ad 
vanced  quickly  to  the  grated  door. 

"  Captain  Quinnox  brings  a  private  message  from 
the  Princess,"  said  the  chief,  the  words  scarcely 
more  than  whispered.  It  was  plain  that  the  message 
was  important  and  of  a  secret  nature.  Quinnox 
looked  up  and  down  the  corridor  and  stairway  be 
fore  thrusting  the  tiny  note  through  the  bars.  It 
was  grasped  eagerly  and  trembling  fingers  broke  the 
seal.  Bending  near  the  light,  he  read  the  lines,  his 
vision  blurred,  his  heart  throbbing  so  fiercely  that 
the  blood  seemed  to  be  drowning  out  other  sounds 
for  all  time  to  come.  In  the  dim  corridor  stood  the 
two  men,  watching  him  with  bated  breath  and  guilty, 
quaking  nerves. 


248  GRAUSTARK 

"  Oh !  "  gasped  Lorry,  kissing  the  missive  insanely, 
as  his  greedy  eyes  careened  through  the  last  line. 
There  was  no  signature,  but  in  every  word  he  saw 
her  face,  felt  the  touch  of  her  dear  hand,  heard  her 
timid  heart  beating  for  him — for  him  alone.  Rapture 
thrilled  him  from  head  to  foot,  the  delirious  rapture 
of  love.  He  could  not  speak,  so  overpowering  was 
the  joy,  the  surprise,  the  awakening. 

"  Obey !  "  whkp  red  Quinnox,  his  face  aglow  with 
pleasure,  his  finger  quivering  as  he  pointed  com- 
mandingly  toward  the  letter. 

"Obey  what?"  asked  Lorry,  dully. 

"  The  last  line !  " 

He  hastily  re-read  the  last  line  and  then  deliber 
ately  held  the  precious  missive  over  the  lamp  until  it 
ignited.  He  would  have  given  all  he  possessed  to 
have  preserved  it.  But  the  last  line  commanded: 
"  Burn  this  at  once,  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
bearer." 

"  There !  "  he  said,  regretfully,  as  he  crumpled  the 
charred  remnants  between  his  fingers  and  turned  to 
the  silent  watchers. 

"  Her  crime  goes  up  in  smoke,"  muttered  Dan- 
gloss,  sententiously. 

"  The  Princess  commits  no  crime,"  retorted  Quin 
nox,  angrily,  "  when  she  trusts  four  honest  men." 

"Where  is  she?"  whispered  the  prisoner,  with 
thrumming  ears. 

"  Where  all  good  women  should  be  at  nine  o'clock 
• — in  bed,"  replied  Dangloss,  shortly.  "  But  will  you 
obey  her  command?  " 


249 


"  So  she  comands  me  to  escape ! "  said  Lorry, 
smiling.  "  I  dare  not  disobey  my  sovereign,  I  sup 
pose." 

"  We  obey  her  because  we  love  her,"  said  the  cap 
tain  of  the  guard. 

"  And  for  that  reason  I  also  obey.  But  can  this 
thing  be  accomplished  without  necessitating  explana 
tions  and  possible  complications?  I  will  not  obey 
if  it  is  likely  to  place  her  in  an  embarrassing  posi 
tion." 

"  She  understands  perfectly  what  she  is  doing,  sir. 
In  the  first  place,  she  has  had  my  advice,"  said  Dan- 
gloss,  the  good  old  betrayer  of  an  official  trust. 

"  You  advised  her  to  command  you  to  allow  me  to 
escape?  " 

"  She  commanded  first,  and  then  I  advised  her  how 
to  command  you.  Axphain  may  declare  a  war  a 
thousand  times  over,  but  you  will  be  safe.  That's 
all  we — I  mean,  all  she  wants." 

"  But  I  cannot  desert  my  friend.  How  is  he  to 
know  where  I've  gone?  Will  not  vengeance  fall 
on  him  instead?  " 

"  He  shall  know  everything  when  the  proper  time 
comes.  And  now,  will  you  be  ready  at  the  hour 
mentioned?  You  have  but  to  follow  the  instruc 
tions — I  should  say,  the  commands  of  the  writer." 

"And  be  free!  Toll  her  thac  1  worship  her  for 
this.  Tell  her  that  every  drop  of  blood  in  my  body 
belongs  to  h°r.  She  offers  me  freedom,  but  makes 
me  her  slave  for  life.  Yes,  I  shall  be  ready.  If 
I  do  not  see  you  again,  good  friends,  remember  that 


250  GRAUSTARK 

I  love  you  because  you  love  her  and  because  she 
loves  you  enough  to  entrust  a  most  dangerous  secret 
to  your  keeping,  the  commission  of  an  act  that  may 
mean  the  downfall  of  your  nation."  He  shook  hands 
with  them  fervently. 

"  It  cannot  be  that,  sir.  It  may  cost  the  lives  of 
three  of  her  subjects,  but  no  man  save  yourself  can 
involve  the  Prin  ^s  or  the  Crown.  They  may  kill 
us,  but  they  cannot  f<a*ce  us  to  betray  her.  I  trust 
you  will  be  as  loyal  to  the  good  girl  who  wears  a 
crown,  not  upon  her  heart,"  said  Dangloss,  ear 
nestly. 

"  I  have  said  my  life  is  hers,  gentlemen,"  said 
Lorry,  simply.  "  God,  if  I  could  but  throw  myself 
at  her  feet !  I  must  see  her  before  I  go.  I  will  not 
go  without  telling  her  what  is  in  my  heart ! "  he 
added,  passionately. 

"  You  must  obey  the  commands  implicitly,  on  your 
word  of  honor,  or  the  transaction  ends  now,"  said 
Quinnox,  firmly. 

"  This  escape  means,  then,  that  I  am  not  to  see 
her  again,"  he  said,  his  voice  choking  with  emo 
tion. 

"  Her  instructions  are  that  you  are  to  go  to-night, 
at  once,"  said  Dangloss,  and  the  black-eyed  soldier 
nodded  confirmation. 

The  prisoner  paced  the  floor  of  his  cell,  his  mind 
a  jumble  of  conflicting  emotions.  His  clenched 
bands,  twitching  lips  and  half-closed  eyes  betrayed 
the  battle  that  was  inflicting  him  with  its  carnage. 
Suddenly  he  darted  to  the  door,  crying: 


THE  FLIGHT  AT  MIDNIGHT         251 

"  Then  I  refuse  to  obey !  Tell  her  that  if  she  per 
mits  me  to  leave  this  hole  I  shall  be  at  her  feet  before 
another  night  has  passed.  Say  to  her  that  I  refuse 
to  go  from  Graustark  until  I  have  seen  her  and 
talked  with  her.  You,  Quinnox,  go  to  her  now  and 
tell  her  this,  and  say  to  her  also  that  there  is  some 
thing  she  must  hear  from  my  own  lips.  Then  I  will 
leave  Graustark  and  not  till  then,  even  though  death 
be  the  alternative."  The  two  men  stared  at  him  in 
amazement  and  consternation. 

"  You  will  not  escape?  "  gasped  Quinnox. 

"  I  will  not  be  dragged  away  without  seeing  her," 
he  answered,  resolutely,  throwing  himself  on  the 
bed. 

"  Damned  young  ass !  "  growled  Dangloss.  The 
soldier's  teeth  grated.  A  moment  later  the  slab 
door  closed  softly,  a  key  rattled,  and  his  visitors 
were  gone — messengers  bearing  to  him  the  most 
positive  proof  of  devotion  that  man  could  exact. 
What  had  she  offered  to  do  for  his  sake?  She  had 
planned  his  escape,  had  sanctioned  the  commission 
of  an  unparalleled  outrage  against  the  laws  of  her 
land — she,  of  all  women,  a  Princess !  But  she  also 
had  sought  to  banish  him  from  the  shrine  at  which 
his  very  soul  worshiped,  a  fate  more  cruel  and  un 
endurable  than  the  one  she  would  have  saved  him 
from. 

He  looked  at  his  hands  and  saw  the  black  stains 
from  the  charred  letter,  last  evidence  of  the  crime 
against  the  State.  A  tender  light  came  to  his  eyes, 
a  great  lump  struggled  to  his  throat,  and  he  kissed 


252  GRAUSTARK 

the  sooty  spots,  murmuring  her  name  again  and 
again.  How  lonely  he  was!  how  cold  and  cheerless 
his  cage!  For  the  first  time  he  began  to  appreciate 
the  real  seriousness  of  his  position.  Up  to  this  time 
he  had  regarded  it  optimistically,  confident  of  vindi 
cation  and  acquittal.  His  only  objection  to  imprison 
ment  grew  out  of  annoyance  and  the  mere  depriva 
tion  of  liberty.  It  had  not  entered  his  head  that 
he  was  actuallly  facing  death  at  close  range.  Of 
course,  it  had  been  plain  to  him  that  the  charges 
were  serious,  and  that  he  was  awkwardly  situated, 
but  the  true  enormity  of  his  peril  did  not  dawn  upon 
him  until  freedom  was  offered  in  such  a  remarkable 
manner.  He  grew  cold  and  shuddered  instinctively 
as  he  realized  that  his  position  was  so  critical  that 
the  Princess  had  deemed  it  necessary  to  resort  to 
strategic  measures  in  order  to  save  him  from  im 
pending  doom.  Starting  to  his  feet,  he  paced  the 
floor,  nervousness  turning  to  dread,  dread  to  terror. 
He  pounded  on  the  door  and  cried  aloud.  Oh,  if 
he  could  but  bring  back  those  kindly  messengers ! 

Exhausted,  torn  by  conflicting  emotions,  he  at  last 
dropped  to  the  bed  and  buried  his  face  in  his  arms, 
nearly  mad  with  the  sudden  solitude  of  despair.  He 
recalled  her  dear  letter — the  tender,  helping  hand 
that  had  been  stretched  out  to  lift  him  from  the 
depths  into  which  he  was  sinking.  She  had  writ 
ten — he  could  see  the  words  plainly — that  his  danger 
was  great;  she  could  not  endure  life  until  she  knew 
him  to  be  safely  outside  the  bounds  of  Graustark. 
His  life  was  dear  to  her,  and  she  would  preserve  it 


THE  FLIGHT  AT  MIDNIGHT         253 

by  dishonoring  her  trust.  Then  she  had  unfolded 
her  plan  of  escape,  disjointedly,  guiltily,  hopelessly. 
In  one  place  near  the  end,  she  wrote :  "  You  have 
done  much  more  for  me  than  you  know,  so  I  pray 
that  God  may  be  good  enough  to  let  me  repay  you 
so  far  as  it  lies  within  my  power  to  do  so."  In  an 
other  place  she  said :  "  You  may  trust  my  accom 
plices,  for  they  love  me,  too."  An  admission  uncon 
sciously  made,  that  word  "  too." 

But  she  was  offering  him  freedom  only  to  send 
him  away  without  granting  one  moment  of  joy  in 
her  presence.  After  all,  with  death  staring  him  in 
the  face,  the  practically  convicted  murderer  of  a 
Prince,  he  knew  he  could  not  have  gone  without  see 
ing  her.  He  had  been  ungrateful,  perhaps,  but  the 
message  he  had  sent  her  was  from  his  heart,  and 
something  told  him  that  it  would  give  her  pleasure. 

A  key  turned  suddenly  in  the  lock,  and  his  heart 
bounded  with  the  hope  that  it  might  be  some  one 
with  her  surrender  in  response  to  his  ultimatum. 
He  sat  upright  and  rubbed  his  swollen  eyes.  The 
door  swung  open,  and  a  tall  prison  guard  peered  in 
upon  him,  a  sharp-eyed,  low-browed  fellow  in  rain 
coat  and  helmet.  His  lantern's  single  unkind  eye 
was  turned  menacingly  toward  the  bed. 

"  What  do  you  want?  "  demanded  the  prisoner,  ir 
ritably. 

Instead  of  answering,  the  guard  proceeded  to  un 
lock  the  second  or  grated  door,  stepping  inside  the 
cell  a  moment  later.  Smothering  an  exclamation, 
Lorry  jerked  out  his  watch  and  then  sprang  to  his 


254  GRAUSTARK 

feet,  intensely  excited.  It  was  just  twelve  o'clock, 
and  he  remembered  now  that  she  had  said  a  guard 
would  come  to  him  at  that  hour.  Was  this  the 
man?  Was  the  plan  to  be  carried  out? 

The  two  men  stood  staring  at  each  other  for  a 
moment  or  two,  one  in  the  agony  of  doubt  and  sus 
pense,  the  other  quizzically.  A  smile  flitted  over 
the  face  of  the  guard;  he  calmly  advanced  to  the 
table,  putting  down  his  lantern.  Then  he  drew  off 
his  rain  coat  and  helmet  and  placed  in  the  other's 
hand  a  gray  envelope.  Lorry  reeled  and  would  have 
fallen  but  for  the  wall  against  which  he  staggered. 
A  note  from  her  was  in  his  hand.  He  tore  open  the 
envelope  and  drew  forth  the  letter.  As  he  read 
he  grew  strangely  calm  and  contented;  a  blissful 
repose  rushed  in  to  supplant  the  racking  unrest  of 
a  moment  before;  the  shadows  fled  and  life's  light 
was  burning  brightly  once  more.  She  had  written: 

"  I  entreat  you  to  follow  instructions  and  go  to 
night.  You  say  you  will  not  leave  Graustark  until 
you  have  seen  me.  How  rash  you  are  to  refuse  lib 
erty  and  life  for  such  a  trifle.  But  why,  I  ask,  am 
I  offering  you  this  chance  to  escape?  Is  it  because 
I  do  not  hope  to  see  you  again?  Is  it  not  enough 
that  I  am  begging,  imploring  you  to  go?  I  can  say 
no  more." 

He  folded  the  brief  note,  written  in  agitation, 
and,  after  kissing  it,  proceeded  to  place  it  in  his 
pocket,  determined  to  keep  it  till  the  last  hour  of  his 
life.  Glancing  up  at  a  sound  from  the  guard,  he 
found  himself  looking  into  the  muzzle  of  a  revolver. 


THE  FLIGHT  AT  MIDNIGHT         255 

A  deep  scowl  overspread  the  face  of  the  man  as  he 
pointed  to  the  letter  and  then  to  the  lamp.  There 
was  no  mistaking  his  meaning.  Lorry  reluctantly 
held  the  note  over  the  flame  and  saw  it  crumble  away 
as  had  its  predecessor.  There  was  to  be  no  proof  of 
her  complicity  left  behind.  He  knew  it  would  be 
folly  to  offer  a  bribe  to  the  loyal  guard. 

After  this  very  significant  act  the  guard's  face 
cleared,  and  he  deposited  his  big  revolver  on  the 
table.  Stepping  to  the  cell's  entrance,  he  listened 
intently,  then  softly  closed  the  heavy  iron  doors. 
Without  a  word,  he  began  to  strip  off  his  uniform, 
Lorry  watching  him  as  if  fascinated.  The  fellow 
looked  up  impatiently  and  motioned  for  him  to  be 
quick,  taking  it  for  granted  that  the  prisoner  under 
stood  his  part  of  the  transaction.  Awakened  by  this 
sharp  reminder,  Lorry  nervously  began  to  remove 
his  own  clothes.  In  five  minutes  his  garments  were 
scattered  over  the  floor  and  he  was  attired  in  the 
uniform  of  a  guard.  Not  a  word  had  been  spoken. 
The  prisoner  was  the  guard,  the  guard  a  prisoner. 

'*  Are  you  not  afraid  this  will  cost  you  your  life?  " 
asked  Lorry,  first  in  English,  then  in  German.  The 
guard  merely  shook  his  head,  indicating  that  he 
could  not  understand. 

He  quickly  turned  to  the  bed,  seized  a  sheet  and 
tore  it  into  strips,  impatiently  thrusting  them  into  the 
other's  hands.  The  first  letter  had  foretold  all 
this,  and  the  prisoner  knew  what  was  expected  of 
him. 

He  therefore  securely  bound  tlie  guard's  legs  and 


256  GRAUSTARK 

arms.  With  a  grim  smile,  the  captive  nodded  his 
head  toward  the  revolver,  the  lantern  and  the  keys. 
His  obliging  prisoner  secured  them,  as  well  as  his 
own  personal  effects,  and  was  ready  to  depart.  Ac 
cording  to  instructions,  he  was  to  go  forth,  locking 
the  doors  behind  him,  leaving  the  man  to  be  discov 
ered  the  next  morning  by  surprised  keepers.  It 
struck  him  that  there  was  something  absurd  in  this 
part  of  the  plan.  How  was  this  guard  to  explain  his 
position  with  absolutely  no  sign  of  a  struggle  to  bear 
him  out?  It  was  hardly  plausible  that  a  big,  strong 
fellow  could  be  so  easily  overpowered  single-handed; 
there  was  something  wretchedly  incongruous  about 
the — but  there  came  a  startling  and  effective  end  to 
all  criticism. 

The  guard,  bound  as  he  was,  suddenly  turned  and 
lunged  head-foremost  against  the  sharp  bedpost. 
His  head  struck  with  a  thud,  and  he  rolled  to  the 
floor  as  if  dead.  Uttering  an  exclamation  of  horror, 
Lorry  ran  to  his  side.  Blood  was  gushing  from  a 
long  gash  across  his  head,  and  he  was  already  un 
conscious.  Sickened  by  the  brave  sacrifice,  he 
picked  the  man  up  and  placed  him  on  the  bed.  A 
hasty  examination  proved  that  it  was  no  more  than 
a  scalp  wound,  and  that  death  was  too  remote  to  be 
feared.  The  guard  had  done  his  part  nobly,  and  it 
was  now  the  prisoner's  turn  to  act  as  resolutely  and 
as  unflinchingly.  Sorry  to  leave  the  poor  fellow  in 
what  seemed  an  inhuman  manner,  he  strode  into  the 
corridor,  closed  and  locked  the  doors  clumsily,  and 
began  the  descent  of  the  stairs.  He  had  been  in- 


THE  FLIGHT  AT  MIDNIGHT         257 

structed  to  act  unhesitatingly,  as  the  slighest  show 
of  nervousness  would  result  in  discovery. 

With  the  helmet  well  down  over  his  face  and  the 
cape  well  up,  he  steadily,  even  noisily  made  his  way 
to  the  next  floor  below.  There  were  prisoners  on 
this  floor,  while  he  had  been  the  only  occupant  of 
the  floor  above.  Straight  ahead  he  went,  flashing 
his  lantern  here  and  there,  passing  down  another 
stairway  and  into  the  main  corridor.  Here  he  met 
a  guard  who  had  just  come  in  from  the  outside.  The 
man  addressed  him  in  the  language  of  the  country, 
and  his  heart  almost  stopped  beating.  How  was  he 
to  answer?  Mumbling  something  almost  inaudible, 
he  hurried  on  to  the  ground  floor,  trembling  with 
fear  lest  the  man  should  call  him  to  halt.  He 
was  relieved  to  find,  in  the  end,  that  his  progress  was 
not  to  be  impeded.  In  another  moment  he  was  boldly 
unlocking  the  door  that  led  to  the  visitor's  hall.  Then 
came  the  door  to  the  warden's  office.  Here  he  found 
three  sleepy  guards,  none  of  whom  paid  any  atten 
tion  to  him  as  he  passed  through  and  entered  Cap 
tain  Dangloss's  private  room.  The  gruff  old  cap 
tain  sat  at  a  desk,  writing.  The  escaping  man  half 
paused,  as  if  to  speak  to  him.  A  sharp  cough  from 
the  captain  and  a  significant  jerk  of  the  head  told 
him  that  there  must  be  no  delay,  no  words.  Opening 
the  door,  he  stepped  out  into  a  storm  so  fierce  and 
wild  that  he  shuddered  apprehensively. 

"  A  fitting  night !  "  he  muttered,  as  he  plunged  into 
the  driving  rain,  forcing  his  way  across  the  court 
yard  toward  the  main  gate.  The  little  light  in  the 


258  GRAUSTARK 

gate-keeper's  window  was  his  guide,  so,  blinded  by 
the  torrents,  blown  by  the  winds,  he  soon  found 
himself  before  the  final  barrier.  Peering  through 
the  window,  he  saw  the  keeper  dozing  in  his  chair. 
By  the  light  from  within,  he  selected  from  the  bunch 
of  keys  he  carried  one  that  had  a  white  string 
knotted  in  its  ring.  This  was  the  key  that  was  to 
open  the  big  gate  in  case  no  one  challenged  him.  In 
any  other  case,  he  was  to  give  the  countersign,  "  Dan- 
gloss,"  and  trust  fortune  to  pass  him  through  with 
out  question. 

Luck  was  with  him,  and,  finding  the  great  lock, 
he  softly  inserted  and  turned  the  key.  The  wind 
blew  the  heavy  gate  open  violently,  and  it  required 
all  of  his  strength  to  keep  it  from  banging  against 
the  wall  beyond.  The  most  difficult  task  that  he  had 
encountered  grew  from  his  efforts  to  close  the  gate 
against  the  blast.  He  was  about  to  give  up  in 
despair,  when  a  hand  was  laid  on  his  shoulder,  and 
some  one  hissed  in  his  startled  ear: 

"  Sh !    Not  a  word !  " 

His  legs  almost  went  from  under  his  body,  so 
great  was  the  shock  and  the  fear.  Two  strong  hands 
joined  his  own  in  the  effort  to  pull  the  door  into  posi 
tion,  and  he  knew  at  once  that  they  belonged  to  the 
man  who  was  to  meet  him  on  the  corner  at  the  right 
of  the  prison  wall.  He  undoubtedly  had  tired  of  the 
delay,  and,  feeling  secure  in  the  darkness  of  the 
storm,  had  come  to  meet  his  charge,  the  escaping 
prisoner.  Their  united  efforts  brought  about  the 


THE  FLIGHT  AT  MIDNIGHT         259 

desired  result,  and  together  they  left  the  prison  be 
hind,  striking  out  against  the  storm  in  all  its  fury. 

"  You  are  late,"  called  the  prisoner  in  his  ear. 

"  Not  too  late,  am  I?  "  he  cried  back,  clutching  the 
other's  arm. 

"  No,  but  we  must  hasten." 

"  Captain  Quinnox,  is  it  you?  " 

"  Have  a  care !  The  storm  has  ears  and  can  hear 
names,"  cautioned  the  other.  As  rapidly  as  possible 
they  made  their  way  along  the  black  streets,  almost 
a  river  with  its  sheet  of  water.  Lorry  had  lost  his 
bearings,  and  knew  not  whither  he  went,  trusting  to 
the  guidance  of  his  struggling  companion.  There 
seemed  to  be  no  end  to  their  journey,  and  he  was 
growing  weak  beneath  the  exertion  and  the  excite 
ment. 

"  How  far  do  we  go?  "  he  cried,  at  last. 

"  But  a  few  rods.  The  carriage  is  at  the  next 
corner." 

"  Where  is  the  carriage  to  take  me?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  say." 

"  Am  I  to  see  her  before  I  go  ?  " 

"  That  is  something  I  cannot  answer,  sir.  My 
instructions  are  to  place  you  in  the  carriage  and 
ride  beside  the  driver  until  our  destination  is 
reached." 

"  Is  it  the  castle?  "  cried  the  other,  joyously. 

"  It  is  not  the  castle,"  was  the  disappointing  an 
swer. 

At  that  moment  they  came  upon  a  great  dark 
hulk  and  heard  the  stamping  of  horses'  hoofs  close 


260  GRAUSTARK 

at  hand.  It  was  so  dark  they  could  scarcely  discern 
the  shape  of  the  carriage,  although  they  could  touch 
its  side  with  their  hands. 

A  soldier  stood  in  the  shelter  of  the  vehicle  and 
opened  the  door  for  the  American. 

"  Hurry  !    Get  in !  "  exclaimed  Quinnox. 

"  I  wish  to  know  if  this  is  liable  to  get  her  into 
trouble,"  demanded  Lorry,  pausing  with  one  foot  on 
the  steps. 

"  Get  in ! "  commanded  the  soldier  who  was  hold 
ing  the  door,  pushing  him  forward  uneasily.  He 
floundered  into  the  carriage,  where  all  was  dry  and 
clean.  In  his  hand  he  still  carried  the  keys  and  the 
lantern,  the  slide  of  which  he  had  closed  before  leav 
ing  the  prison  yard.  He  could  not  see,  but  he  knew 
that  the  trappings  of  the  vehicle  were  superior.  Out 
side  he  heard  the  soldier,  who  was  preparing  to  en 
ter,  say: 

"  This  carriage  travels  on  most  urgent  business  for 
Her  Royal  Highness,  captain.  It  is  not  to  be 
stopped." 

A  moment  later  he  was  inside  and  the  door 
slammed.  The  carriage  rocked  as  Quinnox  swung 
up  beside  the  driver. 

"  You  may  as  well  be  comfortable,"  said  Lorry's 
companion,  as  he  sat  rigid  and  restless.  "  We  have 
a  long  and  rough  ride  before  us." 


XIX 

THE   SOLDIER 

Off  went  the  carriage  with  a  dash,  the  rumble  of 
its  wheels  joining  in  the  grewsome  roar  of  the  ele 
ments.  For  some  time  the  two  sat  speechless,  side 
by  side.  Outside  the  thunder  rolled,  the  rain  swirled 
and  hissed,  the  wind  howled  and  all  the  horrors  of 
nature  seemed  crowded  into  the  blackness  of  that 
thrilling  night.  Lorry  wondered  vaguely  whither 
they  were  going,  why  he  had  seen  no  flashes  of  light 
ning,  if  he  should  ever  see  her  again.  His  mind 
was  busy  with  a  thousand  thoughts  and  queries. 

"  Where  are  we  going?  "  he  asked,  after  they  had 
traveled  half  a  mile  or  so. 

"  To  a  place  of  safety,"  came  the  reply  from  the 
darkness  beside  him. 

"  Thanks,"  he  said,  drily.  "  By  the  way,  don't  you 
have  any  lightning  in  this  part  of  the  world?  I 
haven't  seen  a  flash  to-night." 

"  It  is  very  rare,"  came  the  brief  reply. 

"  Devilish  uncommunicative,"  thought  Lorry. 
After  a  moment  he  asked :  "  How  far  do  we  travel 
to-night?" 

"A  number  of  miles." 

"  Then  I'm  going  to  take  off  this  wet  coat.  It 
261 


262  GRAUSTARK 

weighs  a  ton.  Won't  you  remove  yours?"  He 
jerked  off  the  big  rain  coat  and  threw  it  across  the 
opposite  seat,  with  the  keys  and  the  lantern.  There 
was  a  moment's  hesitation  on  the  part  of  his  com 
panion,  and  then  a  second  wet  coat  followed  the 
first.  Their  rain  helmets  were  also  tossed  aside. 
"  Makes  a  fellow  feel  more  confortable." 

"  This  has  been  too  easy  to  seem  like  an  escape," 
went  on  Lorry,  looking  back  reflectively  over  the 
surprises  of  the  night.  "  Maybe  I  am  dreaming. 
Pinch  me." 

A  finger  and  a  thumb  came  together  on  the  fleshy 
part  of  his  arm,  causing  him  to  start,  first  in  amaze 
ment,  then  in  pain.  He  had  not  expected  his  re 
served  guardian  to  obey  the  command  literally. 

"  I  am  awake,  thanks,"  he  laughed,  and  the  hand 
dropped  from  his  arm. 

After  this  there  was  a  longer  silence  than  any 
time  before.  The  soldier  drew  himself  into  the  cor 
ner  of  the  scat,  an  action  which  repelled  further 
discussion,  it  seemed  to  Lorry,  so  he  leaned  back  in 
the  opposite  corner  and  allowed  his  mind  to  wander 
far  from  the  interior  >f  that  black,  stuffy  carriage. 
Where  was  he  going?  When  was  he  to  leave  Grau- 
stark?  Was  he  to  see  her  soon? 

Soon  the  carriage  left  the  smooth  streets  of  Edel 
weiss,  and  he  could  tell,  by  the  jolting  and  careen 
ing,  that  they  were  in  the  country,  racing  over  a 
rough,  rocky  road.  It  reminded  him  of  an  over 
land  trip  he  had  taken  in  West  Virginia  some 
months  before,  with  the  fairest  girl  in  all  the  world 


THE  SOLDIER  263 

as  his  companion.  Now  he  was  riding  in  her  car 
riage,  but  with  a  surly,  untalkative  soldier  of  the 
guard,  The  more  he  allowed  his  thoughts  to  revel  in 
the  American  ride  and  its  delights,  the  more  uncon 
trollable  became  his  desire  to  see  the  one  who  had 
whirled  with  him  in  "  Light-horse  Jerry's  "  coach. 

"  I  wish  to  know  how  soon  I  am  to  see  your  mis 
tress,"  he  exclaimed,  impulsively,  sitting  up  and 
striking  his  companion's  arm  by  way  of  emphasis. 
To  his  surprise,  the  hand  was  dashed  away,  and  he 
distinctly  heard  the  soldier  gasp.  "  I  beg  you  par« 
don !  "  he  cried,  fearing  that  he  had  given  pain  with 
his  eager  strength. 

"  You  startled  me — I  was  half  asleep,"  stammered 
the  other,  apologetically.  "  Whom  do  you  mean  by 
my  mistress  ?  " 

"  Her  Royal  Highness,  of  course,"  said  Lorry,  im 
patiently. 

"  I  cannot  say  when  you  are  to  see  the  Princess," 
said  his  companion,  after  waiting  so  long  that  Lorry 
felt  like  kicking  him. 

"  Well,  see  here,  my  friend,  do  you  know  why  I 
agreed  to  leave  that  place  back  there?  I  said  I 
wouldn't  go  away  from  Graustark  until  I  had  seen 
her.  If  you  fellows  are  spiriting  me  away — kidnap 
ping  me,  as  it  were, — I  want  to  tell  you  I  won't  have 
it  that  way.  I  must  know,  right  now,  where  we  are 
going  in  this  damnable  storm." 

"  I  have  orders  to  tell  you  nothing,"  said  the  sol 
dier,  staunchly. 

"  Orders,  eh !    From  whom?  " 


264  GRAUSTARK 

"  That  is  my  affair,  sir !  " 

"  I  guess  I'm  about  as  much  interested  in  this 
affair  as  anybody,  and  I  insist  on  knowing  our  des 
tination.  I  jumped  into  this  thing  blindly,  but  I'm 
going  to  see  my  way  out  of  it  before  we  go  much 
farther.  Where  are  we  going?  " 

"  You — you  will  learn  that  soon  enough,"  insisted 
the  other. 

"Am  I  to  see  her  soon?  That's  what  I  want  to 
know." 

"  You  must  not  insist,"  cried  the  soldier.  "  Why 
are  you  so  anxious  to  see  her? "  he  asked,  sud 
denly. 

"  Don't  be  so  blamed  inquisitive,"  cried  Grenfall, 
angrily,  impatiently.  "  Tell  me  where  we  are  going 
or  I'll  put  a  bullet  into  you  !  "  Drawing  his  revolver, 
he  leaned  over,  grasped  the  guard  by  the  shoulder 
and  placed  the  muzzle  against  his  breast. 

"  For  God's  sake  be  calm !  You  would  not  kill 
me  for  obeying  orders !  I  am  serving  one  you  love. 
Are  you  mad?  I  shall  scream  if  you  keep  pressing 
that  horrid  thing  against  my  side."  Lorry  felt  him 
tremble,  and  was  at  once  filled  with  compunction. 
How  could  he  expect  a  loyal  fellow  to  disobey 
orders  ? 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  a  thousand  times,"  he  cried, 
jamming  his  pistol  into  his  pocket.  "You  are  a 
brave  gentleman  and  I  am  a  fool.  Take  me  where 
you  will;  I'll  go  like  a  lamb.  You'll  admit,  how 
ever,  that  it  is  exasperating  to  be  going  in  the  dark 
like  this." 


THE  SOLDIER  265 

"  It  is  a  very  good  thing  that  it  is  dark,"  said  the 
soldier,  quickly.  "  The  darkness  is  very  kind  to  us. 
No  one  can  see  us  and  we  can  see  no  one." 

"  I  should  say  not.  I  haven't  the  faintest  idea 
what  you  look  like.  Have  I  seen  you  at  the  castle?  *' 

"  Yes,  frequently." 

"  Will  you  tell  me  your  name?  " 

"  You  would  not  know  me  by  name." 

"Are  you  an  officer?" 

"  No ;  I  am  new  to  the  service." 

"  Then  I'll  see  that  you  are  promoted.  I  like  your 
staunchness.  How  old  are  you?  " 

"  I  am — er — twenty-two." 

"Of  the  nobility?" 

"  My  father  was  of  noble  birth." 

"  Then  you  must  be  so,  too.  I  hope  you'll  for 
give  my  rudeness.  I'm  a  bit  nervous,  you  know." 

"  I  forgive  you  gladly." 

"  Devilish  rough  road,  this." 

"  Devilish.     It  is  a  mountain  road." 

"  That's  where  we  were,  too." 

"  Where  who  were?  " 

"  Oh,  a  young  lady  and  I,  some  time  ago.  I  just 
happened  to  think  of  it." 

"  It  could  not  have  been  pleasant." 

"  You  never  made  a  bigger  mistake  in  your  life." 

"  Oh,  she  must  have  been  pretty,  then." 

"  You  are  right  this  time.    She  is  glorious." 

"  Pardon  me !  They  usually  arc  in  such  adven 
tures." 

"  By  Jove,  you're  a  clever  one !  " 


266  GRAUSTARK 

"  Does  she  live  in  America?  " 

"  That's  none  of  your  affair." 

"  Oh !  "    And  then  there  was  silence  between  them. 

"  Inquisitive  fool !  "  muttered  Gren  to  himself. 

For  some  time  they  bumped  along  over  the  rough 
road,  jostling  against  each  other  frequently,  both  en 
during  stoically  and  silently.  The  rain  was  still  fall 
ing,  but  the  thunder  storm  had  lost  its  fury.  The 
crashing  in  the  sky  had  abated,  the  winds  were  not 
so  fierce,  the  night  was  being  shorn  of  its  terrors. 
Still  the  intense,  almost  suffocating  darkness  pre 
vailed.  But  for  the  occasional  touch  neither  could 
have  told  that  there  was  another  person  on  the  seat. 
Suddenly  Lorry  remembered  the  lantern.  It  was 
still  lit  with  the  slide  closed  when  he  threw  it  on 
the  seat.  Perhaps  it  still  burned  and  could  relieve 
the  oppressive  darkness  if  but  for  a  short  time.  He 
might,  at  least,  satisfy  his  curiosity  and  look  upon 
the  face  of  his  companion.  Leaning  forward,  he 
fumbled  among  the  traps  on  the  opposite  seat. 

"  I  think  I'll  see  if  the  lantern  is  lighted.  Let's 
have  it  a  little  more  cheerful  in  here,"  he  said.  There 
was  a  sharp  exclamation,  and  two  vigorous  hands 
grasped  him  by  the  shoulder,  jerking  him  back  un 
ceremoniously. 

"  No !  No !  You  will  ruin  all !  There  must  be 
no  light,"  cried  the  soldier,  his  voice  high  and  shrill. 

"  But  we  are  out  of  the  city." 

"  I  know !  I  know !  But  I  will  not  permit  you  to 
have  a  light.  Against  orders.  We  have  not  passed 
the  outpost,"  expostulated  the  other,  nervously. 


THE  SOLDIER  267 

"  What's  the  matter  with  your  voice?  "  demanded 
Lorry,  struck  by  the  change  in  it. 

"My  voice?"  asked  the  other,  the  tones  natural 
again.  "  It's  changing.  Didn't  it  embarrass  you 
when  your  voice  broke  like  that?  "  went  on  the  ques 
tioner,  breathlessly.  Lorry  was  now  leaning  back  in 
the  seat,  quite  a  little  mystified. 

"  I  don't  believe  mine  ever  broke  like  that,"  he 
said,  speculatively.  There  was  no  response,  and  he 
sat  silent  for  some  time,  regretting  more  and  more 
that  it  was  so  dark. 

Gradually  he  became  conscious  of  a  strange,  un 
accountable  presence  in  that  dark  cab.  He  could 
feel  a  change  coming  over  him;  he  could  not  tell 
why,  but  he  was  sure  that  some  one  else  was  beside 
him,  some  one  who  was  not  the  soldier.  Something 
soft  and  delicate  and  sweet  came  into  existence,  per 
meating  the  darkness  with  its  undeniable  presence. 
A  queer  power  seemed  drawing  him  toward  the 
other  end  of  the  seat.  The  most  delightful  sensa 
tions  took  possession  of  him ;  his  heart  fluttered 
oddly,  his  head  began  to  reel  under  the  spell. 

"Who  are  you?"  he  cried  in  a  sort  of  ecstacy. 
There  was  no  answer.  He  remembered  his  match- 
safe,  and,  with  trembling,  eager  fingers,  drew  it 
from  the  pocket  of  the  coat  he  was  wearing.  The 
next  instant  he  was  scratching  a  match,  but  as  it 
flared  the  body  of  his  companion  was  hurled  against 
his  and  a  ruthless  mouth  blew  out  the  feeble  blaze. 

"  Oh,  why  do  you  persist?  "  was  cried  in  his  ears. 

"  I  am  determined  to  see  your  face,"  he  answered, 


268  GRAUSTARK 

sharply,  and  with  a  little  cry  of  dismay  the  other 
occupant  of  the  carriage  fell  back  in  the  corner. 
The  next  match  drove  away  the  darkness  and  the 
mystery.  With  blinking  eyes,  he  saw  the  timid  sol 
dier  huddling  in  the  corner,  one  arm  covering  his 
face,  the  other  hand  vainly  striving  to  pull  the  skirt 
of  a  military  coat  over  a  pair  of  red  trouser-legs. 
Below  the  arm  that  hid  the  eyes  and  nose  he  saw 
parted  lips  and  a  beardless,  dainty  chin ;  above,  long, 
dark  tresses  strayed  in  condemning  confusion.  The 
breast  beneath  the  blue  coat  heaved  convulsively. 

The  match  dropped  from  his  fingers,  and,  as  dark 
ness  fell  again,  it  hid  the  soldier  in  the  strong  arms 
of  the  fugitive — not  a  soldier  bold,  but  a  gasping, 
blushing,  unresisting  coward.  The  little  form  quiv 
ered  and  then  became  motionless  in  the  fierce,  strain 
ing  embrace;  the  head  dropped  upon  his  shoulder, 
his  hot  lips  caressing  the  burning  face  and  pouring 
wild,  incoherent  words  into  the  little  ears. 

"You!  You!"  he  cried,  mad  with  joy.  "Oh, 
this  is  Heaven  itself!  My  brave  darling!  Mine 
forever — mine  forever!  You  shall  never  leave  me 
now  !  Drive  on !  Drive  on !  "  he  shouted  to  the  men 
outside,  drunk  with  happiness.  "  We'll  make  this 
journey  endless.  I  know  you  love  me  now — I  know 
it !  God,  I  shall  die  with  joy !  " 

A  hand  stole  gently  into  his  hand,  and  her  lips 
found  his  in  a  long,  passionate  kiss. 

"  I  did  not  want  you  to  know !  Ach,  I  am  so 
sorry !  Why,  why  did  I  come  to-night  ?  I  was  so 
strong,  so  firm,  I  thought,  but  see  how  weak  I  am. 


THE  SOLDIER  269 

You  dominate, — you  own  me,  body  and  soul,  in 
spite  of  everything, — against  my  will.  I  love  you — 
I  love  you — I  love  you !  " 

"  I  have  won  against  the  Princess  and  the  poten 
tates  !  I  was  losing  hope,  my  Queen,  losing  hope. 
You  were  so  far  away,  so  unattainable.  I  would 
brave  a  thousand  deaths  rather  than  lose  this  single 
minute  of  my  life.  It  makes  me  the  richest  man 
in  all  the  world.  How  brave  you  are!  This  night 
you  have  given  up  everything  for  my  sake.  You 
are  fleeing  with  me,  away  from  all  that  has  been 
dear  to  you." 

"  No,  no.  You  must  not  be  deluded.  It  is  only 
for  to-night,  only  till  you  are  safe  from  pursuit.  I 
shall  go  back.  You  must  not  hope  for  more  than 
this  hour  of  weakness,  sweet  as  it  is  to  me,"  she 
cried. 

"  You  are  going  back,  and  not  with  me?  "  he  cried, 
his  heart  chilling. 

"  You  know  I  cannot.  That  is  why  I  hoped 
you  would  never  know  how  much  I  care  for  you. 
Alas,  you  have  found  me  out!  My  love  was  made 
rash  by  fear.  You  could  never  have  escaped  the 
vengeance  of  Axphain.  I  could  not  have  shielded 
you.  This  was  the  only  course  and  I  dared  not 
hesitate.  I  should  have  died  with  terror  had  you 
gone  to  trial,  knowing  what  I  knew.  You  will  not 
think  me  unwomanly  for  coming  with  you  as  I  am. 
It  was  necessary — really  it  was !  No  one  else 

could  have "  But  he  smothered  the  wail  in 

kisses. 


270  GRAUSTARK 

"  Unwomanly !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  It  was  by  divine 
inspiration.  But  you  witt  come  with  me,  away  from 
Graustark,  away  from  every  one.  Say  that  you 
will !  " 

"  I  cannot  bear  to  hear  you  plead,  and  it  breaks 
my  heart  to  go  back  there.  But  I  cannot  leave 
Graustark — I  cannot  T  It  would  be  Heaven  to  go 
with  you  to  the  end  of  the  world,  but  I  have  others 
besides  myself  to  consider.  You  are  my  god,  my 
idol.  I  can  worship  you  from  my  unhappy  throne, 
from  my  chamber,  from  the  cell  into  which  my  heart 
is  to  retreat.  But  I  cannot,  I  will  not,  desert  Grau 
stark.  Not  even  for  you  !  " 

He  was  silent,  impressed  by  her  nobility,  her  loy 
alty.  Although  the  joy  ebbed  from  his  craving 
heart,  he  saw  the  justice  of  her  self-sacrifice. 

"  I  would  give  my  soul  to  see  your  face  now, 
Yetive.  Your  soul  is  in  your  eyes ;  I  can  feel  it. 
Why  did  you  not  let  me  stay  in  prison,  meet  death 
and  so  end  all?  It  would  have  been  better  for  both 
of  us.  I  cannot  live  without  you." 

"  We  can  live  for  each  other,  die  for  each  other, — 
apart.  Distance  will  not  lessen  my  love.  You  know 
that  it  exists ;  it  has  been  betrayed  to  you.  Can  you 
not  be  satisfied — just  a  little  bit — with  that  knowl 
edge?  "  she  pleaded. 

"  But  I  want  you  in  reality,  not  in  my  dreams,  my 
imagination/' 

"  Ach,  we  must  not  talk  like  this !  There  is  no 
alternative.  You  are  to  go,  I  am  to  stay.  The  future 
is  before  us ;  God  knows  what  it  may  bring  to  us. 


THE  SOLDIER  271 

Perhaps  it  may  be  good  enough  to  give  us  happiness 
— who  knows?  Do  not  plead  with  me.  I  cannot 
endure  it.  Let  me  be  strong  again !  You  will  not 
be  so  cruel  as  to  battle  against  me,  now  that  I  am 
weak ;  it  would  only  mean  my  destruction.  You  do 
not  seek  that !  " 

His  soul,  his  honor,  the  greatest  reverence  he 
had  ever  known  were  in  the  kiss  that  touched  her 
brow. 

"  I  shall  love  you  as  you  command — without 
hope,"  he  said,  sadly. 

"  Without  hope  for  either,"  she  sobbed. 

"  My  poor  little  soldier,"  he  whispered,  lovingly, 
as  her  body  writhed  under  the  storm  of  tears. 

"  I — I  wish — I  were  a — soldier !  "  she  wailed.  He 
comforted  her  as  best  he  could  and  soon  she  was 
quiet — oh,  so  very  quiet.  Her  head  was  on  his 
shoulder,  her  hands  in  his. 

"  How  far  do  we  drive?  "  he  asked,  at  last. 

"  To  the  monastery.  We  are  nearly  there,  she 
answered,  in  tones  far  away. 

"The  monastery?  Why  do  we  go  there?"  he 
cried. 

"  You  are  to  stay  there." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  I  thought  I  was  to  leave 
Graustark. 

"  You  are  to  leave — later  on.  Until  the  excite 
ment  is  over  the  abbey  is  to  be  your  hiding  place.  I 
have  arranged  everything,  and  it  is  the  only  safe 
place  on  earth  for  you  at  this  time.  No  one  will 
think  of  looking  for  you  up  there." 


272  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  would  to  God  I  could  stay  there  forever,  liv 
ing  above  you,"  he  said,  drearily. 

"  Your  window  looks  down  upon  the  castle ;  mine 
looks  up  to  yours.  The  lights  that  burn  in  those 
two  windows  will  send  out  beams  of  love  and  life 
for  one  of  us  at  least." 

"  For  both  of  us,  my  sweetheart,"  he  corrected, 
fondly.  "  You  say  I  will  be  safe  there.  Can  you 
trust  these  men  who  are  aiding  you?  " 

"  With  my  life !  Quinnox  carried  a  message  to 
the  Abbot  yesterday,  and  he  grants  you  a  tempo 
rary  home  there,  secure  and  as  secret  as  the  tomb. 
He  promises  me  this,  and  he  is  my  best  friend.  Now, 
let  me  tell  you  why  I  am  with  you,  masquerading  so 
shamefully " 

"  Adorably  !  "  he  protested. 

"  It  is  because  the  Abbot  insisted  that  I  bring  you 
to  him  personally.  He  will  not  receive  you  except 
from  my  hands.  There  was  nothing  else  for  me 
to  do,  then,  was  there,  Mr.  Lorry?  I  was  com 
pelled  to  come  and  I  could  not  come  as  the  Princess 
— as  a  woman.  Discovery  would  have  meant  degra 
dation  from  which  I  could  not  have  hoped  to  re 
cover  The  military  garments  were  my  only  safe 
guard." 

"  And  how  many  people  know  of  your — decep 
tion?  " 

"  Three — besides  yourself.  Dagmar,  Quinnox 
and  Captain  Dangloss.  The  Abbot  will  know  later 
on,  and  I  shiver  as  I  think  of  it.  The  driver  and 
the  man  who  went  to  your  cell,  Ogbot,  know  of  the 


THE  SOLDIER  273 

escape,  but  do  not  know  I  am  here.  Allode — you 
remember  him — is  our  driver." 

"  Allode  ?  He's  the  fellow  who  saw  me — er — who 
was  in  the  throne  room." 

"  He  is  the  man  who  saw  nothing,  sir." 

"  I  remember  his  obedience,"  he  said,  laughing  in 
spite  of  his  unhappiness.  "  Am  I  to  have  no  free 
dom  up  here — no  liberty  at  all?  " 

"  You  are  to  act  as  the  Abbot  or  the  prior  in 
structs.  And,  I  must  not  forget,  Quinnox  will  visit 
you  occasionally.  He  will  conduct  you  from  the 
monastery  and  to  the  border  line  at  the  proper  time." 

"  Alas !  He  will  be  my  murderer,  I  fear.  Yetive, 
you  do  not  believe  I  killed  Lorenz.  I  know  that 
most  of  them  do,  but,  I  swear  to  you,  I  am  no  more 
the  perpetrator  of  that  cowardly  crime  than  you. 
God  bears  testimony  to  my  innocence.  I  want  to 
hear  you  say  that  you  do  not  believe  I  killed  him." 

"  I  feared  so  at  first, — no,  do  not  be  angry — I 
feared  you  had  killed  him  for  my  sake.  But  now  I 
am  sure  that  you  are  innocent. 

The  carriage  stopped  too  soon,  and  Quinnox 
opened  the  door.  It  was  still  as  dark  as  pitch,  but  the 
downpour  had  ceased  except  for  a  disagreeable, 
misty  drizzle,  cold  and  penetrating. 

"  We  have  reached  the  stopping  place,"  he  said. 

"  And  we  are  to  walk  from  here  to  the  gate,"  said 
the  Princess,  resuming  her  hoarse,  manly  tones. 
While  they  were  busy  donning  their  rain  coats,  she 
whispered  in  Lorry's  ear :  "  I  beg  of  you,  do  not 
let  him  know  that  you  have  discovered  who  I  am." 


274  GRAUSTARK 

He  promised,  and  lightly  snatched  a  kiss,  an  act 
of  indiscretion  that  almost  brought  fatal  results. 
Forgetful  of  the  darkness,  she  gave  vent  to  a  little 
protesting  shriek,  fearing  that  the  eyes  of  the  cap 
tain  had  witnessed  the  pretty  transgression.  Lorry 
laughed  as  he  sprang  to  the  road  and  turned  to  as 
sist  her  in  alighting.  She  promptly  and  thought 
fully  averted  the  danger  his  gallantry  presented  by 
ignoring  the  outstretched  hands,  discernible  as 
slender  shadows  protruding  from  an  object  a  shade 
darker  than  the  night,  and  leaped  boldly  to  the 
ground.  The  driver  was  instructed  to  turn  the  car 
riage  about  and  wait  their  return. 

With  Lorry  in  the  center,  the  trio  walked  rapidly 
off  in  the  darkness,  the  fugitive  with  a  sense  of 
fear  that  belongs  only  to  a  blind  man.  A  litttle  light 
far  ahead  told  the  position  of  the  gate,  and  for  this 
they  bent  their  steps,  Lorry  and  Quinnox  convers 
ing  in  low  tones,  the  Princess  striding  along  silently 
beside  the  former,  her  hand  in  his — a  fact  of  which 
the  real  soldier  was  totally  unaware.  Reaching  the 
gate,  the  captain  pounded  vigorously,  and  a  sleepy 
monk  soon  peered  from  the  little  window  through 
which  shone  the  light. 

"  On  important  business  with  the  Abbot,  from 
Her  Royal  Highness,  the  Princess  Yetive,"  said 
Quinnox,  in  response  to  a  sharp  query,  spoken  in 
the  Graustark  tongue.  A  little  gate  beside  the  big 
one  opened,  and  the  monk,  lantern  in  hand,  bade 
them  enter. 

"  Await  me  here,  captain,"  commanded  the  slim, 


THE  SOLDIER  275 

straight  soldier,  with  face  turned  from  the  light.  A 
moment  later  the  gate  closed  and  Lorry  was  behind 
the  walls  of  St.  Valentine's  a  prisoner  again.  The 
monk  preceded  them  across  the  dark  court  toward 
the  great  black  mass,  his  lantern  creating  ghastly 
shadows  against  the  broken  mist.  His  followers 
dropped  some  little  distance  behind,  the  tall  one's 
arm  stealing  about  the  other's  waist,  his  head  bend 
ing  to  a  level  with  hers. 

"Is  it  to  be  good-bye,  dearest?"  he  asked. 
"  Good-bye  forever?  " 

"  I  cannot  say  that.  It  would  be  like  wishing  you 
dead.  Yet  there  is  no  hope.  No,  no !  We  will  not 
say  good-bye, — forever,"  she  said,  despairingly. 

"  Won't  you  bid  me  hope?  " 

"  Impossible !  You  will  stay  here  until  Quinnox 
comes  to  take  you  away.  Then  you  must  not  stop 
until  you  are  in  your  own  land.  We  may  meet 
again 

"  Yes,  by  my  soul,  we  shall  meet  again !  I'll  do 
as  you  bid  and  all  that,  but  I'll  come  back  when  I 
can  stay  away  no  longer.  Go  to  your  castle  and 
look  forward  to  the  day  that  will  find  me  at  your 
feet  again.  It  is  bound  to  come.  But  how  are  you 
to  return  to  the  castle  to-night  and  enter  without 
creating  suspicion?  Have  you  thought  of  that?  " 

"Am  I  a  child?  Inside  of  three  hours  I  shall  be 
safely  in  my  bed  and  but  one  person  in  the  castle 
will  be  the  wiser  for  my  absence.  Here  are  the 
portals."  They  passed  inside  the  massive  doors  and 
halted.  "  You  must  remain  here  until  I  have  seen 


276  GRAUSTARK 

the  prior,"  she  said,  laughing  nervously  and  glanc 
ing  down  at  the  boots  which  showed  beneath  the 
long  coat.  Then  she  hastily  followed  the  monk, 
disappearing  down  the  corridor.  In  ten  minutes — 
ten  hours  to  Lorry — she  returned  with  her  guide. 

"  He  will  take  you  to  your  room,"  she  said  breath 
lessly,  displaying  unmistakable  signs  of  embarrass 
ment.  "  The  prior  was  shocked.  Good-bye,  and 
God  be  with  you  always.  Remember,  I  love  you !  " 

The  monk's  back  was  turned,  so  the  new  recluse 
snatched  the  slight  figure  to  his  heart. 

"  Some  day?  "  he  whispered. 

She  would  not  speak,  but  he  held  her  until  she 
nodded  her  head. 


XX 

THE    APPROACHING    ORDEAL 

"  The  American  has  escaped ! "  was  the  cry  that 
spread  through  Edelweiss  the  next  morning. 

It  brought  undisguised  relief  to  the  faces  of  thou 
sands;  there  was  not  one  who  upbraided  Baron 
Dangloss  for  his  astounding  negligence.  Never 
before  had  a  criminal  escaped  from  the  tower.  The 
only  excuse,  uttered  in  woe-begone  tone,  was  that 
the  prison  had  not  been  constructed  or  manned  for 
such  clever  scoundrels  as  Yankees — good  name  for 
audacity.  But  as  nobody  criticised,  his  explanation 
was  taken  good-naturedly  and  there  was  secret  re 
joicing  in  the  city.  Of  course,  everybody  wondered 
where  the  prisoner  had  gone;  most  of  them  feared 
that  he  could  not  escape  the  officers,  while  others 
shrewdly  smiled  and  expressed  themselves  as  confi 
dent  that  so  clever  a  gentleman  could  not  be  caught. 
They  marveled  at  his  boldness,  his  ingenuity,  his 
assurance. 

The  full  story  of  the  daring  break  for  liberty 
flashed  from  lip  to  lip  during  the  day,  and  it  was 
known  all  over  the  water-swept  city  before  noon. 
Baron  Dangloss,  himself,  had  gone  to  the  prisoner's 
cell  early  in  the  morning,  mystified  by  the  continued 

277 


278  GRAUSTARK 

absence  of  the  guard.  The  door  was  locked,  but 
from  within  came  groans  and  cries.  Alarmed  at 
once,  the  captain  procured  duplicate  keys  and  en 
tered  the  cell.  There  he  found  the  helpless,  blood- 
covered  Ogbot,  bound  hand  and  foot  and  almost 
dead  from  loss  of  blood.  The  clothes  of  the  Ameri 
can  were  on  the  floor,  while  his  own  were  missing, 
gone  with  the  prisoner.  Ogbot,  as  soon  as  he  was 
able,  related  his  experience  of  the  night  before.  It 
was  while  making  his  rounds  at  midnight  that  he 
heard  moans  from  the  cell.  Animated  by  a  feeling 
of  pity,  he  opened  the  slab  door  and  asked  if  he 
were  ill.  The  wretched  American  was  lying  on  the 
bed,  apparently  suffering.  He  said  something  which 
the  guard  could  not  understand,  but  which  he  took 
to  be  a  plea  for  assistance.  Not  suspecting  a  trick, 
the  kindly  guard  unlocked  the  second  door  and 
stepped  to  the  bedside,  only  to  have  the  sick  man 
rise  suddenly  and  deal  him  a  treacherous  blow  over 
the  head  with  the  heavy  stool  he  had  secreted  be 
hind  him.  Ogbot  knew  nothing  of  what  followed, 
so  effective  was  the  blow.  When  he  regained  con 
sciousness  he  was  lying  on  the  bed,  just  as  the  cap 
tain  had  found  him.  The  poor  fellow,  overwhelmed 
by  the  enormity  of  his  mistake,  begged  Dangloss  to 
shoot  him  at  once.  But  Dangloss  had  him  conveyed 
to  the  hospital  ward  and  tenderly  cared  for. 

Three  guards  in  one  of  the  offices  saw  a  man 
whom  they  supposed  to  be  Ogbot  pass  from  the 
prison  shortly  after  twelve,  and  the  mortified  chief 
admitted  that  some  one  had  gone  through  his  pri- 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         279 

vate  apartment.  As  the  prisoner  had  taken  Ogbot's 
keys  he  experienced  little  difficulty  in  getting  out 
side  the  gates.  But,  vowed  Dangloss,  storrnily,  he 
should  be  recaptured  if  it.  required  the  efforts  of  all 
the  policeman  in  Edelweiss.  With  this  very  brave 
declaration  in  mind,  he  despatched  men  to  search 
every  street  and  every  alley,  every  cellar  and  every 
attic  in  the  city.  Messengers  were  sent  to  all  towns 
in  the  district ;  armed  posses  scoured  the  valley  and 
the  surrounding  forests,  explored  the  caves  and 
brush  heaps  for  miles  around.  The  chagrin  of  the 
grim  old  captain,  who  had  never  lost  a  prisoner,  was 
pitiful  to  behold. 

The  forenoon  was  half  over  before  Harry  An 
guish  heard  of  his  friend's  escape.  To  say  that  he 
was  paralyzed  would  be  putting  it  much  too  mildly. 
There  is  no  language  that  can  adequately  describe 
his  sensations.  Forgetting  his  bodyguard,  he  tore 
down  the  street  toward  the  prison,  wild  with  anxiety 
and  doubt.  He  met  Baron  Dangloss,  tired  and 
worn,  near  the  gate,  but  the  old  officer  could  tell 
him  nothing  except  what  he  had  learned  from  Ogbot. 
Of  one  thing  there  could  be  no  doubt :  Lorry 
was  gone.  Not  knowing  where  to  turn  nor  what 
to  do,  Anguish  raced  off  to  the  castle,  his  bodyguard 
having  located  him  in  the  meantime.  He  was  more 
in  need  of  their  protection  than  ever.  At  the  castle 
gates  he  encountered  a  party  of  raving  Axphainians, 
crazed  with  anger  over  the  flight  of  the  man  whose 
life  they  had  thirsted  for  so  ravenously.  Had  he 
been  unprotected,  Anguish  would  have  fared  badly 


280  GRAUSTARK 

at  their  hands,  for  they  were  outspoken  in  their 
assertions  that  he  had  aided  Lorry  in  the  escape. 
One  fiery  little  fellow  cast  a  glove  in  the  American's 
face  and  expected  a  challenge.  Anguish  snapped  his 
fingers  and  sarcastically  invited  the  insulter  to  meet 
him  next  winter  in  a  battle  with  snowballs,  upon 
which  the  aggressor  blasphemed  in  three  languages 
and  three  hundred  gestures.  Anguish  and  his  men 
passed  inside  the  gates,  which  had  been  barred  to 
the  others,  and  struck  out  rapidly  for  the  castle 
doors. 

The  Princess  Yetive  was  sleeping  soundly,  peace 
fully,  with  a  smile  on  her  lips,  when  her  Prime  Min 
ister  sent  an  excited  attendant  to  inform  her  of  the 
prisoner's  escape.  She  sat  up  in  bed,  and,  with  her 
hands  clasped  about  her  knees,  sleepily  announced 
that  she  would  receive  him  after  her  coffee  was 
served.  Then  she  thought  of  the  wild,  sweet  ride 
to  the  monastery,  the  dangerous  return,  her  en 
trance  to  the  castle  through  the  secret  subterranean 
passage  and  the  safe  arrival  in  her  own  room.  All 
had  gone  well  and  he  was  safe.  She  smiled  quaintly 
as  she  glanced  at  the  bundle  of  clothes  on  the  floor, 
blue  and  black  and  red.  They  had  been  removed 
in  the  underground  passage  and  a  loose  gown  sub 
stituted,  but  she  had  carried  them  to  her  chamber 
with  the  intention  of  placing  them  for  the  time  being 
in  the  old  mahogany  chest  that  had  held  so  many  of 
her  childhood  treasures.  Springing  out  of  bed, 
she  opened  the  chest,  cast  them  into  its  depths, 
turned  and  removed  the  key  which  had  always  re- 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         281 

mained    in    the    lock.       Then    she    summoned    her 
maids. 

Her  uncle  and  aunt,  the  Countess  Dagmar  (whose 
merry  brown  eyes  were  so  full  of  pretended  dismay 
that  the  Princess  could  scarcely  restrain  a  smile), 
and  Gaspon,  the  Minister  of  Finance,  were  awaiting 
her  appearance.  She  heard  the  count's  story  of  the 
escape,  marveled  at  the  prisoner's  audacity,  and 
firmly  announced  that  everything  possible  should  be 
done  to  apprehend  him.  With  a  perplexed  frown  on 
her  brow  and  a  dubious  twist  of  her  lips,  she  said: 

"  I  suppose  I  must  offer  a  reward?  " 

"  Certainly !  "  exclaimed  her  uncle. 

"  About  fifty  gavvos,  uncle?  " 

"  Fifty !  "  cried  the  two  men,  aghast. 

"Isn't  that  enough?" 

"  For  the  murderer  of  a  Prince?  "  demanded  Gas 
pon.  "  It  would  be  absurd,  Your  Highness.  He  is 
a  most  important  person." 

"  Quite  so ;  he  is  a  most  important  person.  I  think 
I'll  offer  five  thousand  gavvos." 

"  More  like  it.  He  is  worth  that,  at  least,"  agreed 
Uncle  Caspar. 

"  Beyond  a  doubt,"  sanctioned  Gaspon. 

"  I  am  glad  you  do  not  consider  me  extravagant," 
she  said,  demurely.  "  You  may  have  the  placards 
printed  at  once,"  she  went  on,  addressing  the  Treas 
urer.  "  Say  a  reward  of  five  thousand  gavvos  will  be 
paid  to  the  person  who  delivers  Grenf  all  Lorry  to  me." 

"  Would  it  not  be  better  to  say  '  delivers  Grenf  all 
Lorry  to  the  Tower  '?  "  submitted  Gaspon. 


282  GRAUSTARK 

• 

"  You  may  say  *  to  the  undersigned,'  and  sign  my 
name,"  she  said,  reflectively. 

"  Very  well,  Your  Highness.  They  shall  be  struck 
off  this  morning." 

"  In  large  type,  Gaspon.  You  must  catch  him  if 
you  can,"  she  added.  "  He  is  a  very  dangerous  man 
and  royalty  needs  protection."  With  this  wise  bit 
of  caution  she  dismissed  the  subject  and  began  to 
talk  of  the  storm. 

As  the  two  young  plotters  were  hastening  up  the 
stairs  later  on,  an  attendant  approached  and  in 
formed  the  Princess  that  Mr.  Anguish  requested  an 
audience. 

"  Conduct  him  to  my  boudoir,"  she  said,  her  eyes 
sparkling  with  triumph.  In  the  seclusion  of  the 
boudoir  she  and  the  Countess  laughed  like  children 
over  the  reward  that  had  been  so  solemnly  ordered. 

"  Five  thousand  gavvos !  "  cried  Dagmar,  leaning 
back  in  her  chair,  to  emphasize  the  delight  she  felt. 
"What  a  joke!" 

Tap,  tap!  came  a  knock  on  the  door,  and  in  the 
same  instant  it  flew  open,  for  Mr.  Anguish  was  in 
a  hurry.  As  he  plunged  into  their  presence  a  pair 
of  heels  found  the  floor  spasmodically. 

"  Oh,  I  beg  pardon !  "  he  gasped,  as  if  about  to  fly. 
"  May  I  come  in  ?  " 

"  Not  unless  you  go  outside.  You  are  already  in, 
it  seems,"  said  the  Princess,  advancing  to  meet  him. 
The  Countess  was  very  still  and  sedate.  "  I  am  so 
glad  you  have  come." 

"  Heard  about  Lorry  ?    The  fool  is  out  and  gone," 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         283 

he  cried,  unable  to  restrain  himself.  Without  a 
word,  she  dragged  him  to  the  divan,  and,  between 
them,  he  soon  had  the  whole  story  poured  into  his 
ears,  the  Princess  on  one  side,  the  Countess  on  the 
other. 

"  You  are  a  wonder ! "  he  exclaimed,  when  all  the 
facts  were  known  to  him.  He  executed  a  little  dance 
of  approval,  entirely  out  of  place  in  the  boudoir  of 
a  Princess,  but  very  much  in  touch  with  prevailing 
sentiment.  "  But  what's  to  become  of  me? "  he 
asked,  after  cooling  down.  "  I  have  no  excuse  for 
remaining  in  Graustark  and  I  don't  like  to  leave 
him  here,  either." 

"  Oh,  I  have  made  plans  for  you,"  said  she.  "  You 
are  to  be  held  as  hostage." 

"What?" 

"  I  thought  of  your  predicament  last  night,  and 
here  is  the  solution:  This  very  day  I  shall  issue  an 
order  forbidding  you  the  right  to  leave  Edelweiss. 
You  will  not  be  in  prison,  but  your  every  movement 
is  to  be  watched.  A  strong  guard  will  have  you 
under  surveillance,  and  any  attempt  to  escape  or  to 
communicate  with  your  friend  will  result  in  your 
confinement  and  his  detection.  In  this  way  you 
may  stay  here  until  the  time  comes  to  fly.  The 
Axphain  people  must  be  satisfied,  you  know.  Your 
freedom  will  not  be  disturbed;  you  may  come  and 
go  as  you  like,  but  you  are  ostensibly  a  prisoner.  By 
detaining  you  forcibly  we  gain  a  point,  for  you  are 
needed  here.  There  is  no  other  way  in  which  you 


284  GRAUSTARK 

can  explain  a  continued  presence  in  Graustark.  Is 
not  my  plan  a  good  one?  " 

He  gazed  in  admiration  at  her  flushed  cheeks  and 
glowing  e^es. 

"  It  is  beyond  comparison,"  he  said,  rising  and 
bowing  low.  "  So  shrewd  is  this  plan  that  you  make 
me  a  hostage  forever ;  I  shall  not  mistake  its  memory 
if  I  live  to  be  a  thousand." 

And  so  it  was  settled,  in  this  pretty  drama  of  de 
ception,  that  Harry  Anguish  was  to  be  held  in  Edel 
weiss  as  hostage.  At  parting,  she  said,  seriously : 

"  A  great  deal  depends  on  your  discretion,  Mr. 
Anguish.  My  guards  will  Avatch  your  every  action, 
for  they  are  not  in  the  secret — excepting  Quinnox, 
— and  any  attempt  on  your  part  to  communicate 
with  Grenfall  Lorry  will  be  fatal." 

"  Trust  me,  Your  Highness.  I  have  had  much  in 
struction  in  wisdom  to-day." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  see  you  often,"  she  said. 

"  Daily — as  a  hostage,"  he  replied,  glancing  to 
ward  the  Countess. 

"  That  means  until  the  other  man  is  captured,"  said 
that  young  lady,  saucily. 

As  he  left  the  castle  he  gazed  at  the  distant  build 
ing  in  the  sky  and  wondered  how  it  had  ever  been 
approached  in  a  carriage.  She  had  not  told  him 
that  Allode  drove  four  miles  over  the  winding  roads 
that  led  to  the  monastery  up  a  gentler  slope  from 
the  rear. 

The  next  afternoon  Edelweiss  thrilled  with  a  new 
excitement.  Prince  Bolaroz  of  Axphain,  mad  with 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         285 

grief  and  rage,  came  thundering  into  the  city  with 
his  court  at  his  heels.  His  wrath  had  been  increased 
until  it  resembled  a  tornado  when  he  read  the  re 
ward  placard  in  the  uplands.  Not  until  then  did  he 
know  that  the  murderer  had  escaped  and  that  venge 
ance  might  be  denied  him. 

After  viewing  the  body  of  Lorenz  as  it  lay  in  the 
sarcophagus  of  the  royal  palace,  where  it  had  been 
borne  at  the  command  of  the  Princess  Yetive,  he 
demanded  audience  with  his  son's  betrothed,  and 
it  was  with  fear  that  she  prepared  for  the  trying 
ordeal,  an  interview  with  the  grief-crazed  old  man. 
The  castle  was  in  a  furore;  its  halls  soon  thronged 
with  diplomatists  and  there  was  an  ugly  sense  of 
trouble  in  the  air,  suggestive  of  the  explosion  which 
follows  the  igniting  of  a  powder  magazine. 

The  slim,  pale-faced  Princess  met  the  burly  old 
ruler  in  the  grand  council  chamber.  He  and  his 
nobles  had  been  kept  waiting  but  a  short  time. 
Within  a  very  few  minutes  after  they  had  been  con 
ducted  to  the  chamber  by  Count  Halfont  and  other 
dignitaries,  the  fair  ruler  came  into  the  room  and 
advanced  between  the  bowing  lines  of  courtiers  to 
the  spot  where  sat  the  man  who  held  Graustark  in 
his  grasp.  A  slender,  graceful  figure  in  black,  proud 
and  serious,  she  walked  unhesitatingly  to  ^Jie  old 
man's  side.  If  she  feared  him,  if  she  was  impressed 
by  his  power,  she  did  not  show  it.  The  little  drama 
had  two  stars  of  equal  magnitude,  neither  of  whom 
acknowledged  supremacy  in  the  other. 

Bolaroz  arose  as  she  drew  near,  his  guant  face 


286  GRAUSTARK 

black  and  unfriendly.  She  extended  her  hand  gra 
ciously,  and  he,  a  Prince  for  all  his  wrath,  touched 
his  trembling  lips  to  its  white,  smooth  back. 

"  I  come  in  grief  and  sadness  to  your  court,  most 
glorious  Yetive.  My  burden  of  sorrow  is  greater 
than  I  can  bear,"  he  said,  hoarsely. 

"  Would  that  I  could  give  you  consolation,"  she 
said,  sitting  in  the  chair  reserved  for  her  use  at 
council  gatherings.  "  Alas !  it  grieves  me  that  I  can 
offer  nothing  more  than  words." 

"  You  are  the  one  he  would  have  made  his  wife," 
said  the  old  Prince,  sitting  beside  her.  He  looked 
into  her  deep  blue  eyes  and  tears  sprung  to  his  own. 
His  voice  failed  him,  and  long  moments  passed  be 
fore  he  could  control  his  emotion.  Truly  she  pitied 
him  in  his  bereavement. 

Then  followed  a  formal  discussion  of  the  crime 
and  the  arrangement  of  details  in  connection  with 
the  removal  of  the  dead  Prince  from  Graustark  to 
his  own  land.  These  matters  settled,  Bolaroz  said 
that  he  had  heard  of  the  murderer's  escape,  and 
asked  what  effort  was  being  made  to  recapture  him. 
Yetive  related  all  that  had  happened,  expressing 
humiliation  over  the  fact  that  her  officers  had  been 
unable  to  accomplish  anything,  adding  that  she  did 
not  believe  that  the  fugitive  could  get  away  from 
Graustark  safely  without  her  knowledge.  The  old 
Prince  was  working  himself  back  into  the  violent 
rage  that  had  been  temporarily  subdued,  and  at  last 
broke  out  in  a  vicious  denunciation  of  the  careless 
ness  that  had  allowed  the  man  to  escape.  He  first 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         287 

insisted  that  Dangloss  and  his  incompetent  assistants 
be  thrown  into  prison  for  life  or  executed  for  crimi 
nal  negligence;  then  he  demanded  the  life  of  Harry 
Anguish  as  an  aider  and  abettor  in  the  flight  of  the 
murderer.  In  both  cases  the  Princess  firmly  refused 
to  take  the  action  demanded.  She  warmly  defended 
Dangloss  and  his  men,  and  announced  in  no  uncer 
tain  tones  that  she  would  not  order  the  arrest  of 
the  remaining  American.  Then  she  acquainted  him 
with  her  intention  to  detain  Anguish  as  hostage  and 
to  have  his  every  action  watched  in  the  hope  that  a 
clue  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  fugitive  might  be 
discovered,  providing,  of  course,  that  the  friend 
knew  anything  at  all  about  the  matter.  The  Duke 
of  Mizrox  and  others  loudly  joined  in  the  cry  for 
Anguish's  arrest,  but  she  bravely  held  out  against 
them,  and  in  the  end  curtly  informed  them  that  the 
American,  whom  she  believed  to  be  innocent  of  all 
complicity  in  the  escape,  should  be  subjected  to  no 
indignity  other  than  detention  in  the  city  under 
guard,  as  she  had  ordered. 

"  I  insist  that  this  man  be  cast  into  prison  at  once," 
snarled  the  white-lipped  Bolaroz. 

Her  eyes  flashed  and  her  bosom  heaved  with 
anger. 

"  You  are  not  at  liberty  to  command  in  Graustark, 
Prince  Bolaroz,"  she  said,  slowly  and  distinctly,  "  I 
am  ruler  here." 

The  heart  of  every  Graustark  nobleman  leaped 
with  pride  at  this  daring  rebuff.  Bolaroz  gasped 
and  was  speechless  for  some  seconds. 


288  GRAUSTARK 

"  You  shall  not  be  ruler  long,  madam,"  he  said, 
malevolently,  significantly. 

"  But  I  am  ruler  now,  and,  as  such,  I  ask  Your 
Highness  to  withdraw  from  my  castle.  I  did  not 
know  that  I  was  to  submit  to  these  threats  and  in 
sults,  or  I  should  not  have  been  kind  enough  to  grant 
you  an  audience,  Prince  though  you  are.  When  I 
came  to  this  room  it  was  to  give  you  my  deepest 
sympathy  and  receive  yours,  not  to  be  insulted. 
You  have  lost  a  son,  I  my  betrothed.  It  ill  be 
comes  you,  Prince  Bolaroz,  to  vent  your  vindictive- 
ness  upon  me.  My  men  are  doing  all  in  their  power 
to  capture  the  man  who  has  so  unfortunately  es 
caped  from  our  clutches,  and  I  shall  not  allow  you 
or  any  one  else  to  dictate  the  manner  in  which  we 
are  to  proceed."  She  uttered  these  words  cunningly, 
and,  at  their  conclusion,  arose  to  leave  the  room. 

Bolaroz  heard  her  through  in  surprise  and  with 
conflicting  emotions.  There  was  no  mistaking  her 
indignation,  so  he  deemed  it  policy  to  bottle  his 
wrath,  overlook  the  most  offensive  rebuke  his  vanity 
had  ever  received,  and  submit  to  what,  was  evidently 
a  just  decision. 

"  Stay,  Your  Highness.  I  submit  to  you  proposi 
tion  regarding  the  other  stranger,  although  I  doubt 
its  wisdom.  There  is  but  one  in  whom  I  am  really 
interested, — the  one  who  killed  my  son.  There  is 
to  be  no  cessation  in  the  effort  to  find  him,  I  am 
to  understand.  I  now  have  a  proposition.  With 
me  are  three  hundred  of  my  bravest  soldiers.  I 
offer  them  to  you  in  order  that  you  may  better  prose- 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         289 

cute  the  search.  They  will  remain  here  and  you  may 
use  them  in  any  way  you  see  fit.  The  Duke  of  Miz- 
rox  will  linger  in  Edelweiss,  and  with  him  you  and 
yours  may  always  confer.  He,  also,  is  at  your  com 
mand.  This  man  must  be  retaken.  I  swear,  by  all 
that  is  above  and  below  me,  he  shall  be  found,  if  I 
hunt  the  world  over  to  accomplish  that  end.  He 
shall  not  escape  my  vengeance!  And  hark  you  to 
this !  On  the  twentieth  of  next  month  I  shall  de 
mand  payment  of  the  debt  due  Axphain.  So  deeply 
is  my  heart  set  on  the  death  of  this  Grenfall  Lorry 
that  I  agree  now,  before  all  these  friends  of  ours, 
that  if  he  be  captured,  and  executed  in  my  presence, 
before  the  twentieth  of  November,  Graustark  shall 
be  granted  the  extension  of  time  that  would  have 
obtained  in  the  event  of  your  espousal  with  the  man 
he  killed.  You  hear  this  offer,  all?  It  is  bound  by 
my  sacred  word  of  honor.  His  death  before  the 
twentieth  gives  Graustark  ten  years  of  grace.  If 
he  is  still  at  large,  I  shall  claim  my  own.  This  offer, 
I  believe,  most  gracious  Yetive,  will  greatly  encour 
age  your  people  in  the  effort  to  capture  the  man  we 
seek." 

The  Princess  heard  the  remarkable  proposition 
with  a  face  deathly  pale,  heart  scarcely  beating. 
Again  was  the  duty  to  Graustark  thrust  cruelly  upon 
her.  She  could  save  the  one  only  by  sacrificing  the 
other. 

"  We  will  do  all  in  our  power  to — to  prove  our 
selves  grateful  for  your  magnanimous  offer,"  she 
said.  As  she  passed  from  the  room,  followed  by 


290  GRAUSTARK 

her  uncle,  she  heard  the  increasing  buzz  of  excite 
ment  on  all  sides,  the  unrestrained  expressions  of 
amazement  and  relief  from  her  subjects,  the  patron 
izing  comments  of  the  visitors,  all  conspiring  to 
sound  her  doom.  Which  way  was  she  to  turn  in 
order  to  escape  from  herself? 

"  We  must  catch  this  man,  Yetive,"  said  Halfont, 
on  the  stairway.  "  There  is  no  alternative." 

"  Except  our  inability  to  do  so,"  she  murmured. 
In  that  moment  she  determined  that  Grenfall  Lorry 
should  never  be  taken  if  she  could  prevent  it.  He 
was  innocent,  and  it  was  Graustark's  penalty  to 
pay. 

The  next  day,  amidst  pomp  and  splendor,  the 
Prince  of  Axphain  started  on  his  journey  to  the 
land  of  his  forefathers,  to  the  tombs  of  his  ances 
tors,  all  Edelweiss  witnessing  the  imposing  proces 
sion  that  made  its  way  through  the  north  gates  of 
the  town.  Far  up  on  the  mountain  top  a  man,  look 
ing  from  his  little  window,  saw  the  black,  snakelike 
procession  wind  away  across  the  plain  to  the  north 
ward,  losing  itself  in  the  distant  hills. 


XXI 


FROM    A    WINDOW    ABOVE 


The  longest  month  in  Lorry's  life  was  that  which 
followed  his  romantic  flight  from  the  Tower.  To 
his  impatient  mind,  the  days  were  irksome  weeks. 
The  cold  monastery  was  worse  than  a  prison.  He 
looked  from  its  windows  as  a  convict  looks  through 
his  bars,  always  hoping,  always  disappointed.  With 
each  of  the  infrequent  visits  of  Captain  Quinnox, 
his  heart  leaped  at  the  prospect  of  liberty,  only  to 
sink  deeper  in  despair  upon  the  receipt  of  emphatic, 
though  kindly,  assurances  that  the  time  had  not  yet 
come  for  him  to  leave  the  haven  of  safety  into  which 
he  had  been  thrust  by  loving  hands.  From  his  little 
window  he  could  see  the  active  city  below,  with  the 
adored  castle;  to  his  nostrils  came  the  breath  of 
summer  from  the  coveted  valley,  filling  him  with 
almost  insupportable  longing  and  desire.  Cold  were 
the  winds  that  swept  about  his  lofty  home;  ghastly, 
grewsome  the  nights ;  pallid  and  desolate  the  days. 
Out  of  the  world  was  he,  dreary  and  heartsick,  while 
at  his  feet  stretched  life  and  joy  and  love  in  their 
rarest  habiliments.  How  he  endured  the  suspense,  the 
torture  of  uncertainty,  the  craving  for  the  life  that 
others  were  enjoying,  he  could  not  understand.  Big, 

291 


292  GRAUSTARK 

strong  and  full  of  vigor,  his  inactivity  was  mad 
dening;  this  virtual  captivity  grew  more  and  more 
intolerable  with  each  succeeding  day.  Would  they 
never  take  him  from  the  tomb  in  which  he 
was  existing?  A  hundred  times  had  he,  in  his 
desperation,  concluded  to  flee  from  the  monastery, 
come  what  might,  and  to  trust  himself  to  the  joyous 
world  below,  but  the  ever-present  though  waning 
spark  of  wisdom  won  out  against  the  fierce,  aggres 
sive  folly  that  mutinied  within  his  hungry  soul.  He 
knew  that  she  was  guarding  him  with  loving,  tender 
care,  and  that,  when  the  proper  time  came,  the 
shackles  of  danger  would  drop  and  his  way  would 
be  cleared. 

Still  there  was  the  longing,  the  craving,  the  lone 
liness.  Day  after  day,  night  after  night  went  by 
and  the  end  seemed  no  nearer.  Awake  or  asleep,  he 
dreamed  of  her,  his  heart  and  mind  always  full  of 
that  one  rich  blessing, — her  love.  At  times  he  was 
mad  with  the  desire  to  know  what  she  was  doing, 
what  she  was  thinking  and  what  was  being  done  for 
her  down  there  in  the  busy  world.  Lying  on  his 
pallet,  sitting  in  the  narrow  window,  pacing  the  halls 
or  wandering  about  the  cold  courtyards,  he  thought 
always  of  her,  hoping  and  despairing  with  equal 
fervor.  The  one  great  question  that  made  his  im 
prisonment,  his  inactivity  so  irksome  was :  Was  he 
to  possess  the  treasure  he  longed  so  much  to  call 
his  own?  In  those  tantalizing  moments  of  despair 
he  felt  that  if  he  were  free  and  near  her  he  could 
win  the  fight  against  all  odds.  As  it  was,  he  knew 


FROM  A  WINDOW  ABOVE  293 

not  what  mischief  was  working  against  his  chances 
in  the  world  from  which  he  was  barred. 

The  prior  was  kind  to  him ;  everything  that  could 
be  done  to  provide  comfort  where  comfort  was  a 
stranger  was  employed  in  his  behalf.  He  lived  well 
— until  his  appetite  deserted  him ;  he  had  no  ques 
tions  to  answer,  for  no  one  asked  why  he  was  there; 
he  had  no  danger  to  fear,  for  no  foe  knew  where 
he  lived.  From  the  city  came  the  promise  of  ulti 
mate  escape;  verbal  messages  from  those  who  loved 
him;  news  of  the  world, — all  at  long  intervals,  how 
ever.  Quinnox's  visits  were  like  sunbeams  to  him. 
The  dashing  captain  came  only  at  night  and  in  dis 
guise.  He  bore  verbal  messages,  a  wise  precaution 
against  mishap.  Not  once  did  he  bring  a  word  of 
love  from  the  Princess,  an  omission  which  caused 
the  fugitive  deep  misery  until  a  ray  of  intelligence 
showed  him  that  she  could  not  give  to  Quinnox  the 
speeches  from  her  heart,  proud  woman  that  she 
was. 

Anguish  sent  words  of  cheer,  with  commands  to 
be  patient.  He  never  failed  to  tell  him,  through 
Quinnox,  that  he  was  doing  all  in  his  power  to  find 
the  real  murderer,  and  that  he  had  the  secret  co 
operation  of  the  old  police  captain.  Of  course,  the 
hidden  man  heard  of  the  reward  and  the  frenzied 
search  prosecuted  by  both  principalities.  He  laughed 
hysterically  over  the  deception  that  was  being  prac 
ticed  by  the  blue-eyed,  slender  woman  who  held  the 
key  to  the  situation  in  her  keeping. 

It  was  not  until  the  night  of  the  eighteenth  of  No- 


294  GRAUSTARK 

vember  that  Quinnox  confirmed  his  fears  by  telling 
him  of  the  conditions  imposed  by  Prince  Bolaroz. 
For  some  reason,  the  young  offider  had  deceived 
Lorry  in  regard  to  the  all-important  matter.  The 
American  repeatedly  had  begged  for  informa 
tion  about  the  fatal  twentieth,  but  on  all  previous 
occasions  his  visitor  doggedly  maintained  a  show  of 
ignorance,  vowing  that  he  knew  nothing  of  the  cir 
cumstances.  Finally  Lorry,  completely  out  of  pa 
tience  and  determined  to  know  the  true  state  of 
affairs,  soundly  upbraided  him  and  sent  word  to 
the  Princess  that  if  she  did  not  acquaint  him  with 
the  inside  facts  he  would  leave  the  monastery  and 
find  them  out  for  himself.  This  authoritative  mes 
sage  brought  Quinnox  back  two  nights  later  with 
the  full  story  of  the  exciting  conference.  She  im 
plored  him  to  remain  where  he  was,  and  asked  his 
forgiveness  for  having  kept  the  ugly  truth  from 
him.  Quinnox  added  to  his  anguish  by  hastily  in 
forming  him  that  there  was  a  possibility  of  succor 
from  another  principality.  Prince  Gabriel,  he  said, 
not  knowing  that  he  was  cutting  his  listener  to  the 
heart,  was  daily  with  the  Princess,  and  it  was  be 
lieved  that  he  was  ready  to  loan  Graustark  sufficient 
money  to  meet  the  demand  of  Bolaroz.  The  mere 
thought  that  Gabriel  was  with  her  aroused  the 
fiercest  resentment  in  Lorry's  breast.  He  writhed 
beneath  the  knowledge  that  she  was  compelled  to 
endure  his  advances,  his  protestations  of  love,  his 
presence. 

As  he  paced  his  narrow  room  distractedly  a  horrid 


FROM  A  WINDOW  ABOVE  295 

thought  struck  him  so  violently  that  he  cried  aloud 
and  staggered  against  the  wall,  his  eyes  fixed  on 
the  face  of  the  startled  soldier.  Perhaps  she  might 
submit  to  Gabriel,  for  in  submitting  she  could  save 
not  only  Graustark,  but  the  man  she  loved.  The 
sacrifice — but  no !  he  would  not  believe  that  such 
affliction  could  come  to  her!  Marry  Gabriel!  The 
man  who  had  planned  to  seize  her  and  make  her  his 
wanton !  He  ground  his  teeeth  and  glared  at  Quin- 
nox  as  if  he  were  the  object  of  his  hatred,  his  vicious 
jealousy.  The  captain  stepped  backward  in  sudden 
alarm. 

"  Don't  be  afraid !  "  Lorry  cried  savagely.  "  I'm 
not  crazy.  It's  your  news — your  news !  Does  she 
expect  me  to  stay  up  here  while  that  state  of  affairs 
exists  down  there?  Let  me  see:  this  is  the  eigh 
teenth,  and  day  after  to-morrow  is  the  twentieth. 
There  is  no  time  to  be  lost,  Captain  Quinnox.  I 
shall  accompany  you  when  you  leave  St.  Valentine's 
to-night." 

"  Impossible !  "  exclaimed  Quinnox.  "  I  cannot  al 
low  that,  sir.  My  instructions  are  to — 

"  Hang  your  instructions  !  All  the  instructions  on 
earth  can't  compel  me  to  sit  up  here  and  see  this 
sacrifice  made.  I  am  determined  to  see  her  and  put 
a  stop  to  the  whole  affair.  It  is  what  I  feared  would 
come  to  pass.  She  is  willing  to  sacrifice  herself  or 
half  her  kingdom,  one  or  the  other,  in  order  that  I 
may  escape.  It's  not  right,  captain,  it's  not  right, 
and  I'm  going  to  stop  it.  How  soon  can  we  leave 
this  place?  "  He  was  pacing  the  floor,  happy  in  the 


296  GRAUSTARK 

decision  he  had  reached,  notwithstanding  the  danger 
it  promised. 

"  You  are  mad,  sir,  to  talk  like  this,"  protested  the 
other,  despairingly.  "  Edelweiss  swarms  with  Ax- 
phain  soldiers ;  our  own  men  are  on  the  alert  to  win 
the  great  reward.  You  cannot  go  to  the  city.  When 
a  safe  time  comes,  you  will  be  taken  from  this  place, 
into  the  mountains  instead  of  through  the  city,  and 
given  escort  to  Dassas,  one  hundred  miles  east. 
That  step  will  not  be  taken  until  the  way  is  perfectly 
clear.  I  tell  you,  sir,  you  cannot  hope  to  escape  if 
you  leave  the  monastery  now.  The  mountains  are 
full  of  soldiers  every  night." 

"  I  didn't  say  anything  about  an  escape,  did  I? 
On  the  contrary,  I  want  to  give  myself  up  to  her. 
Then  she  can  have  Gabriel  thrown  over  the  castle 
wall  and  say  to  Bolaroz,  '  Here  is  your  man ;  I've 
gained  the  ten  years  of  grace.'  That's  the  point, 
Quinnox;  can't  you  see  it?  And  I  want  to  say  to 
you  now,  I'm  going  whether  you  consent,  or  refuse. 
I'd  just  as  soon  be  in  jail  down  there  as  up  here,  any 
how.  The  only  favor  I  have  to  ask  of  yon  is  that 
you  do  the  best  you  can  to  get  me  safely  to  her. 
I  must  talk  to  her  before  I  go  back  to  the  tower." 

*'  God  help  me,  sir,  I  cannot  take  you  to  her," 
groaned  Quinnox,  trying  to  control  his  nervous  ap 
prehension.  "  I  have  sworn  to  her  that  I  will  keep 
you  from  all  harm,  and  it  would  be  to  break  faith 
with  her  if  I  led  you  into  that  mob  down  there." 

"  I  respect  your  oath,  my  friend,  but  I  am  going, 
just  the  same.  I'll  see  her,  too,  if  I  have  to  shoot 


FROM  A  WINDOW  ABOVE  297 

every  man  who  attempts  to  prevent  me.  I'm  des 
perate,  man,  desperate!  She's  everything  in  the 
world  to  me,  and  I'll  die  before  I'll  see  her  suffer." 

Quinnox  calmly  placed  his  hands  on  the  other's 
shoulders,  and,  looking  him  in  the  eye,  said  quietly: 

"  Her  suffering  now  is  as  nothing  compared  to 
what  it  will  be  if  you  go  back  to  the  Tower.  You 
forget  how  much  pain  she  is  enduring  to  avoid  that 
very  suffering.  If  you  care  for  my  mistress,  sir, 
add  no  weight  to  the  burden  she  already  carries. 
Remain  here,  as  she  desires.  You  can  be  of  no  ser 
vice  down  there.  I  implore  you  to  be  consid 
erate." 

It  was  an  eloquent  appeal,  and  it  struck  home. 
Lorry  wavered,  but  his  resolution  would  not  weaken. 
He  argued,  first  with  Quinnox,  then  with  himself, 
finally  returning  to  the  reckless  determination  to 
brave  all  and  save  her  from  herself.  The  soldier 
begged  him  to  listen  to  reason,  implored  him  to  re 
consider,  at  last  turning  in  anger  upon  the  stubborn 
American  with  a  torrent  of  maledictions.  Lorry 
heard  him  through,  and  quietly,  unswervingly  an 
nounced  that  he  was  ready  to  leave  the  monastery 
at  any  time  his  guide  cared  to  depart.  Quinnox 
gave  up  in  despair  at  this,  gazing  hopelessly  at  the 
man  he  had  sworn  to  protect,  who  insisted  on  plac 
ing  his  head  in  the  lion's  jaw.  He  sat  down  at  the 
window  and  murmured  dejectedly: 

"  What  will  she  say  to  me — what  will  she  say  to 
me?" 

"  I  shall  exonerate  you,  captain.    She  can  have  no 


298  GRAUSTARK 

fault  to  find  with  your  action  after  I  have  told  her 
how  loyal  you  are  and  how — how — well,  how  un 
reasonable  I  am,"  said  Lorry,  kindly. 

"  You  may  never  live  to  tell  her  this,  sir.  Then 
what  is  to  become  of  me?  I  could  not  look  her  in 
the  face  again.  I  could  only  die !  " 

"  Don't  be  so  faint-hearted,  Quinnox ! "  cried 
Lorry,  stimulated  by  the  desire  to  be  with  her,  recog 
nizing  no  obstacle  that  might  thwart  him  in  the 
effort.  "  We'll  get  through,  safe  and  sound,  and 
we'll  untangle  a  few  complications  before  we  reach 
the  end  of  the  book.  Brace  up,  for  God's  sake,  for 
mine,  for  hers,  for  your  own.  I  must  get  to  her 
before  everything  is  lost.  My  God,  the  fear  that 
she  may  marry  Gabriel  will  drive  me  mad  if  I  am 
left  here  another  night.  Come!  Let  us  prepare  to 
start.  We  must  notify  the  Abbot  that  I  am  to  go. 
I  can  be  ready  in  five  minutes.  Ye  Gods,  think  of 
what  she  may  be  sacrificing  for  me !  " 

The  distracted  captain  gloomily  watched  the  nerv 
ous  preparations  for  departure,  seeing  his  own  dis 
grace  ahead  as  plainly  as  if  it  had  already  come 
upon  him.  Lorry  soon  was  attired  in  the  guard's 
uniform  he  had  worn  from  the  Tower  a  month  be 
fore.  His  pistol  was  in  his  pocket,  and  the  bunch 
of  violets  she  had  sent  to  him  that  very  night  was 
pinned  defiantly  above  his  heart.  Quinnox  smiled 
when  he  observed  this  bit  of  sentiment,  and  grimly 
informed  him  that  he  was  committing  an  act  pro 
hibited  in  Dangloss's  disciplinary  rules.  Officers  on 
duty  were  not  to  wear  nosegays. 


FROM  A  WINDOW  ABOVE  299 

"  Dangloss  will  not  see  my  violets.  By  the  way, 
the  moon  shines  brightly,  doesn't  it?  " 

"  It  is  almost  as  light  as  day.  Our  trip  is  made 
extremely  hazardous  for  that  reason.  I  am  sorely 
afraid,  rash  sir,  that  we  cannot  reach  the  castle 
unseen." 

"  We  must  go  about  it  boldly,  that's  all." 

"  Has  it  occurred  to  you,  sir,  that  you  are  placing 
me  in  a  terrible  position?  What  excuse  can  I  have, 
a  captain  of  the  guard,  for  slinking  about  at  night 
with  a  man  whom  I  am  supposed  to  be  tracking  to 
earth?  Discovery  will  brand  me  as  a  traitor.  I 
cannot  deny  the  charge  without  exposing  Her  Royal 
Highness." 

Lorry  turned  cold.  He  had  not  thought  of  this 
alarming  possibility.  But  his  ready  wit  came  again 
to  his  relief,  and  with  bright,  confident  eyes  he  swept 
away  the  obstacle. 

"  If  discovered,  you  are  at  once  to  proclaim  me 
a  prisoner,  take  the  credit  for  having  caught  me, 
and  claim  the  reward." 

"  In  that  case,  you  will  not  go  to  the  castle,  but 
to  the  Tower." 

"  Not  if  you  obey  orders.  The  offer  of  reward 
says  that  I  must  be  delivered  to  the  undersigned. 
You  will  take  me  to  her  and  not  to  the  Tower." 

Quinnox  smiled  and  threw  up  his  hands,  as  if 
unable  to  combat  the  quick  logic  of  his  companion. 
Together  they  made  their  way  to  the  prior's  cell, 
afterward  to  the  Abbot's  apartment.  It  was  barely 
eleven  o'clock  and  he  had  not  retired.  He  ques- 


300  GRAUSTARK 

tioned  Quinnox  closely,  bade  Lorry  farewell  and 
blessed  him,  sent  his  benediction  to  the  Princess  and 
ordered  them  conducted  to  the  gates. 

Ten  minutes  later  they  stood  outside  the  wall,  the 
great  gates  having  been  closed  sharply  behind  them. 
Above  them  hung  the  silvery  moon,  full  and  bright, 
throwing  its  refulgent  splendor  over  the  mountain 
top  with  all  the  brilliancy  of  day.  Never  had  Lorry 
seen  the  moon  so  accursedly  bright. 

"  '  Gad,  it  is  like  day,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  As  I  told  you,  sir,"  agreed  the  other,  reproof  in 
his  voice. 

"  We  must  wait  until  the  moon  goes  down.  It 
won't  do  to  risk  it  now.  Can  we  not  go  somewhere 
to  keep  warm  for  an  hour  or  so?  " 

"  There  is  a  cave  farther  down  the  mountain. 
Shall  we  take  the  chance  of  reaching  it?" 

"  By  all  means.  I  can't  endure  the  cold  after 
being  cooped  up  for  so  long." 

They  followed  the  winding  road  for  some  dis 
tance  down  the  mountain,  coming  at  last  to  a  point 
where  a  small  path  branched  off.  It  was  the  path 
leading  down  the  side  of  the  steep  overlooking  the 
city,  and  upon  that  side  no  wagon-road  could  be 
built.  Seven  thousand  feet  below  stretched  the 
sleeping,  moon-lit  city.  Standing  out  on  the  brow 
of  the  mountain,  they  seemed  to  be  the  only  living 
objects  in  the  world.  There  was  no  sign  of  life 
above,  below  or  beside  them. 

"  How  long  should  we  be  in  making  the  descent?  " 
asked  Lorry,  a  sort  of  terror  possessing  him  as  he 


FROM  A  WINDOW  ABOVE  301 

looked  from  the  dizzy  height  into  the  ghost-like  dim 
ness  below. 

"  Three  hours,  if  you  are  strong." 

"  And  how  are  we  to  get  into  the  castle?  I  hadn't 
thought  of  that." 

"  There  is  a  secret  entrance,"  said  Quinnox,  ma 
liciously  enjoying  the  insistent  one's  acknowledg 
ment  of  weakness.  "  If  we  reach  it  safely,  I  can 
take  you  underground  to  the  old  dungeons  beneath 
the  castle.  It  may  be  some  time  before  you  can 
enter  the  halls  above,  for  the  secret  of  that  passage 
is  guarded  jealously.  There  are  but  five  people  who 
know  of  its  existence." 

"  Great  confidence  is  placed  in  you,  I  see,  and 
worthily,  I  am  sure.  How  is  it  that  you  are  trusted 
so  implicitly?  " 

"  I  inherit  the  confidence.  The  captain  of  the 
guard  is  born  to  his  position.  My  ancestors  held 
the  place  before  me,  and  not  one  betrayed  the  trust. 
The  first-born  in  the  last  ten  generations  has  been 
the  captain  of  the  guard  in  the  royal  palace,  possess 
ing  all  its  secrets.  I  shall  be  the  first  to  betray  the 
trust — and  for  a  man  who  is  nothing  to  me." 

"  I  suppose  you  consider  me  selfish  and  vile  for 
placing  you  in  this  position,"  said  Lorry,  somewhat 
contritely. 

"  No ;  I  have  begun  the  task  and  I  will  complete 
it,  come  what  may,"  answered  the  captain,  firmly. 
"  You  are  the  only  being  in  the  world  for  whom  I 
would  sacrifice  my  honor  voluntarily, — save  one." 

"  I  have  wondered  why  you  were  never  tempted 


302  GRAUSTARK 

to  turn  traitor  to  the  Princess  and  claim  the  fortune 
that  is  represented  in  the  reward." 

"  Not  for  five  million  gavvos,  sir !  " 

"  By  George,  you  are  a  faithful  lot !  Dangloss, 
Allode  and  Ogbot  and  yourself,  four  honest  men 
to  whom  she  trusts  her  life,  her  honor.  You  belong 
to  a  rare  species,  and  I  am  proud  to  know  you." 

The  stealthy  couple  found  the  cave  and  spent  an 
hour  or  more  within  its  walls,  sallying  forth  after 
the  tardy  darkness  had  crept  down  over  the  moun 
tain  and  into  the  peaceful  valley.  Then  began  the 
tortuous  descent.  Quinnox  in  the  lead,  they  walked, 
crawled  and  ran  down  the  narrow  path,  bruised, 
scratched  and  aching  by  the  time  they  reached  the 
topmost  of  the  summer  houses  along  the  face  of  the 
mountain.  After  this,  walking  was  easier,  but 
stealthiness  made  their  progress  slow.  Frequently, 
as  they  ncared  the  base,  they  were  obliged  to  dodge 
behind  houses  or  to  drop  into  the  ditches  by  the  road 
side  in  order  to  avoid  patroling  police  guards  or 
Axphain  sleuth-hounds.  Lorry  marveled  at  the 
vigil  the  soldiers  were  keeping,  and  was  somewhat 
surprised  to  learn  from  the  young  captain  that  pre 
vailing  opinion  located  him  in  or  near  the  city.  For 
this  reason,  while  other  men  were  scouring  Vienna, 
Paris  and  even  London,  hordes  of  vengeful  men 
searched  day  and  night  for  a  clue  in  the  city  of 
Edelweiss. 

The  fugitive  began  to  realize  how  determined  was 
the  effort  to  capture  him  and  how  small  the  chance 
of  acquittal  if  he  were  taken.  To  his  fevered  im 
agination  the  enmity  of  the  whole  world  was  shaping 


FROM  A  WINDOW  ABOVE  303 

itself  against  him.  The  air  was  charged  with  hatred, 
the  ground  with  vengeance,  the  trees  and  rocks  with 
denouncing  shadows,  while  from  the  darkness  be 
hind  merciless  hands  seemed  to  be  stretching  forth 
to  clutch  him.  One  simple,  loyal  love  stood  alone 
antagonistic  to  the  universal  desire  to  crush  and  kill. 
A  fragile  woman  was  shielding  him  sturdily,  un 
waveringly  against  all  these  mighty  forces.  His 
heart  thrilled  with  devotion;  his  arm  tingled  with 
the  joy  of  clasping  her  once  more  to  his  breast;  his 
wistful  eyes  hung  upon  the  flickering  light  far  off 
in  the  west.  Quinnox  had  pointed  it  out  to  him,  say 
ing  that  it  burned  in  the  bedchamber  of  the  Princess 
Yetive.  Since  the  memorable  night  that  took  him 
to  the  cell  in  St.  Valentine's,  this  light  had  burned 
from  dusk  to  daylight.  Lovingly,  faithfully  it  had 
shone  for  him  through  all  those  dreary  nights,  a 
lonely  signal  from  one  heart  to  another. 

At  last,  stiff  and  sore,  they  stole  into  the  narrow 
streets  of  Edelweiss.  Lorry  glanced  back  and  shiv 
ered,  although  the  air  was  warm  and  balmy.  He 
had  truly  been  out  of  the  world.  Not  until  this 
instant  did  he  fully  appreciate  the  dread  that  pos 
sesses  a  man  who  is  being  hunted  down  by  tireless 
foes ;  never  did  man's  heart  go  out  in  gratitude  and 
trustfulness  as  did  his  toward  the  strong  defender 
whose  sinewy  arm  he  clasped  as  if  in  terror. 

"  You  understand  what  this  means  to  me,"  said 
Quinnox,  gravely,  as  they  paused  to  rest.  "  She  will 
call  me  your  murderer  and  curse  me  for  my  miser 
able  treason.  I  am  the  first  to  dishonor  the  name  of 
Quinnox." 


XXII 

GREXFAII,  LORRY'S  FOE 

The  Princess  Yetive  had  not  flinched  a  hair's 
breadth  from  the  resolution  formed  on  that  stormy 
night  when  she  sacrificed  pride  and  duty  on  the 
altar  of  love  and  justice.  Prince  Bolaroz's  ultima 
tum  overwhelmed  her,  but  she  arose  from  the  wreck 
age  that  was  strewn  about  her  conscience  and  re 
mained  loyal,  steadfast  and  true  to  the  man  in  the 
monastery.  To  save  his  life  was  all  she  could  hope 
to  accomplish,  and  that  she  was  bound  to  do  at 
any  cost.  She  could  be  nothing  to  him — not  even 
friend.  So  long  as  he  lived  he  would  be  considered 
the  murderer  of  Lorenz,  and  until  the  end  a  price 
would  hang  over  his  head.  She,  Princess  of  Grau- 
stark,  had  offered  a  reward  for  him.  For  that  rea 
son  he  was  always  to  be  a  fugitive,  and  she,  least 
of  all,  could  hope  to  see  him.  There  had  been  a 
brief,  happy  dream,  but  it  was  swept  away  by  the 
unrelenting  rush  of  reality.  The  mere  fact  that 
she,  and  she  alone,  was  responsible  for  his  flight 
placed  between  them  an  unsurmountable  barrier. 

Clinging  tenaciously  to  her  purpose,  she  was  still 
cognizant  of  the  debt  she  owed  the  trusting,  loving 
people  of  Graustark.  One  word  from  her  could 

304 


GRENFALL  LOBBY'S  FOE  305 

avert  the  calamity  that  was  to  fall  with  the  dawn 
of  the  fatal  twentieth.  All  Graustark  blindly  trusted 
and  adored  her;  to  undeceive  them  would  be  to 
administer  a  shock  from  which  they  could  never 
recover. 

Her  heart  was  bursting  with  love  for  Lorry;  her 
mind  was  overflowing  with  tender  thoughts  that 
could  not  be  sent  to  him,  much  as  she  trusted  to 
the  honor  of  Quinnox,  har  messenger.  Hour  after 
hour  she  sat  in  her  window  and  marveled  at  the 
change  that  had  been  wrought  in  her  life  by  this 
strong  American,  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  faraway 
monastery,  her  heart  still  and  cold  and  fearful.  She 
had  no  confidant  in  this  miserable  affair  of  her  heart. 
Others,  near  or  dear,  had  surmised,  but  no  word  of 
hers  confirmed.  A  diffidence,  strange  and  proud, 
forbade  the  confession  of  her  frailty,  sweet,  pure 
and  womanly  though  it  was.  She  could  not  forget 
that  she  was  a  Princess. 

The  Countess  Dagmar  was  piqued  by  her  reti 
cence  and  sought  in  manifold  ways  to  draw  forth 
the  voluntary  avowal,  with  its  divine  tears  and 
blushes.  Harry  Anguish,  who  spent  much  of  his 
time  at  the  castle  and  who  invariably  deserted  his 
guards  at  the  portals,  was  as  eager  as  the  Countess 
to  have  her  commit  herself  irretrievably  by  word  or 
sign,  but  he,  too,  was  disappointed.  He  was,  also, 
considerably  puzzled.  Her  Highness's  manner  was 
at  all  times  frank  and  untroubled.  She  was  appar 
ently  light-hearted ;  her  cheeks  had  lost  none  of  their 
freshness ;  her  eyes  were  bright ;  her  smile  was 


306  GRAUSTARK 

quick  and  merry;  her  wit  unclouded.  Receptions, 
drawing-rooms  and  State  functions  found  her  al 
ways  vivacious,  so  much  so  that  her  court  wondered 
not  a  little.  Daily  reports  brought  no  news  of  the 
fugitive,  but  while  others  were  beginning  to  acquire 
a  haggard  air  of  worry  and  uncertainty,  she  was 
calmly  resigned.  The  fifteenth,  the  sixteenth,  the 
seventeenth,  the  eighteenth  and  now  the  nineteenth 
of  November  came,  and  still  the  Princess  revealed 
no  marked  sign  of  distress.  Could  they  have  seen 
her  in  the  privacy  of  her  chamber  on  those  dreary, 
maddening  nights  they  would  not  have  known  their 
sovereign. 

Heavy-hearted  and  with  bowed  heads  the  people 
of  Graustark  saw  the  nineteenth  fade  in  the  night, 
the  breaking  of  which  would  bring  the  crush  of 
pride,  the  end  of  power.  At  court  there  was  the 
silent  dread  and  the  dying  hope  that  relief  might 
come  at  the  last  hour.  Men,  with  pale  faces  and 
tearful  eyes,  wandered  through  the  ancient  castle, 
speechless,  nerveless,  miserable.  Brave  soldiers 
crept  about,  shorn  of  pride  and  filled  with  woe. 
Citizens  sat  and  stared  aimlessly  for  hours,  think 
ing  of  naught  but  the  disaster  so  near  at  hand  and 
so  unavoidable.  The  whole  nation  surged  as  if  in 
the  last  throes  of  death.  To-morrow  the  potency  of 
Graustark  was  to  die,  its  domain  was  to  be  cleft  in 
twain, — disgraced  before  the  world. 

And,  on  the  throne  of  this  afflicted  land  sat  the 
girl,  proud,  tender,  courageous  Yetive.  To  all 
Graustark  she  was  its  greatest,  its  most  devoted  suf- 


GRENFALL  LORRY'S  FOE  307 

ferer;  upon  her  the  blow  fell  heaviest.  There  she 
sat,  merciful  and  merciless,  her  slim  white  hand 
ready  to  sign  the  shameful  deed  in  transfer,  ready 
to  sell  her  kingdom  for  her  love.  Beneath  her  throne, 
beneath  her  feet,  cowered  six  souls,  possessors  of 
the  secret.  Of  all  the  people  in  the  world,  they  alone 
knew  the  heart  of  the  Princess  Yetive,  they  alone 
felt  with  her  the  weight  of  the  sacrifice.  With  wist 
ful  eyes,  fainting  hearts  and  voiceless  lips,  five  of 
them  watched  the  day  approach,  knowing  that  she 
would  not  speak  and  that  Graustark  was  doomed. 
Loyal  conspirators  against  that  which  they  loved 
better  than  their  lives — their  country — were  Dan- 
gloss,  Quinnox,  Allodc,  Ogbot  and  Dagmar.  To 
morrow  would  see  the  north  torn  from  the  south, 
the  division  of  families,  the  rending  of  homes,  the 
bursting  of  hearts.  She  sanctioned  all  this  because 
she  loved  him  and  because  he  had  done  no  wrong. 

Aware  of  her  financial  troubles  and  pursuing  the 
advantage  that  his  rival's  death  had  opened  to  him, 
Prince  Gabriel,  of  Dawsbergen,  renewed  his  ardent 
suit.  Scarce  had  the  body  of  the  murdered  Prince 
left  the  domain  before  he  made  his  presence  marked. 
She  was  compelled  to  receive  his  visits,  distasteful 
as  they  were,  but  she  would  not  hear  his  proposi 
tions.  Knowing  that  he  was  in  truth  the  mysterous 
Michael  who  had  planned  her  abduction,  she  feared 
and  despised  him,  yet  dared  make  no  public  denun 
ciation.  As  Dawsbergen  was  too  powerful  to  be  an 
tagonized  at  this  critical  time,  she  was  constantly 
forced  to  submit  to  the  most  trying  and  repulsive  of 


308  GRAUSTARK 

ordeals.  Tact  and  policy  were  required  to  control 
the  violent,  hot-blooded  young  ruler  from  the  South. 
At  times  she  despaired  and  longed  for  the  quiet  of 
the  tomb;  at  other  times  she  was  consumed  by  the 
fires  of  resentment,  rebelling  against  the  ignominy 
to  which  she  was  subjected.  Worse  than  all  to  her 
were  the  insolent  overtures  of  Gabriel.  How  she 
endured  she  could  not  tell.  The  tears  of  humiliation 
shed  after  the  departure  on  the  occasion  of  each 
visit  revealed  the  bitterness  that  was  torturing  this 
proud  martyr. 

He  had  come  at  once  to  renew  his  offer  of  a  loan, 
knowing  her  helplessness.  Day  after  day  he  haunted 
the  castle,  persistent  in  his  efforts  to  induce  her  to 
accept  his  proposition.  So  fierce  was  his  passion, 
so  implacable  his  desire,  that  he  went  among  the 
people  of  Edelweiss,  presenting  to  them  his  pro 
posal,  hoping  thereby  to  add  public  feeling  to  his 
claims.  He  tried  to  organize  a  committee  of  citi 
zens  to  go  before  the  Princess  with  the  petition  that 
his  offer  be  accepted  and  the  country  saved.  But 
Graustark  was  loyal  to  its  Princess.  Not  one  of  her 
citizens  listened  to  the  wily  Prince,  and  more  than 
one  told  him  or  his  emissaries  that  the  loss  of  the 
whole  kingdom  was  preferable  to  the  marriage  he 
desired.  The  city  sickened  at  the  thought. 

His  last  and  master-stroke  in  the  struggle  to  per 
suade  came  on  the  afternoon  of  the  nineteenth,  at 
an  hour  when  all  Edelweiss  was  in  gloom  and  when 
the  Princess  was  taxed  to  the  point  where  the  mask 


GRENFALL  LORRY'S  FOE  309 

of  courage  was  so  frail  that  she  could  scarce  hide 
her  bleedin  soul  behind  it. 

Bolaroz  of  Axphain,  to  quote  from  the  news-de 
spatch,  was  in  Edelweiss,  a  guest,  with  a  few  of  his 
lords,  Li  the  castle.  North  of  the  city  were  encamped 
five  thousand  men.  He  had  come  prepared  to  cancel 
the  little  obligation  of  fifteen  years'  standing.  With 
the  hated  creditor  in  the  castle,  his  influence  hovering 
above  the  town,  the  populace,  distracted  by  the 
thoughts  of  the  day  to  come,  Gabriel  played  what 
he  considered  his  best  card.  He  asked  for  and  ob 
tained  a  final  interview  with  Yetive,  not  in  her  bou 
doir  or  her  reception  room,  but  in  the  throne  room, 
where  she  was  to  meet  Bolaroz  in  the  morning. 

The  Princess,  seated  on  her  throne,  awaited  the 
approach  of  the  resourceful,  tenacious  suitor.  He 
came,  and  behind  him  strode  eight  stalwart  men, 
bearing  a  long,  iron-bound  chest,  the  result  of  his 
effort  with  his  bankers.  Yetive  and  her  nobles 
looked  in  surprise  on  this  unusual  performance. 
Dropping  to  his  knee  before  the  throne,  Gabriel  said, 
his  voice  trembling  slightly  with  eagerness  and 
fear, 

"  Your  Highness,  to-morrow  will  see  the  turning 
point  in  the  history  of  two,  possibly  three  nations — 
Graustark,  Axphain  and  Dawsbergen.  I  have  in 
cluded  my  own  land  because  its  ruler  is  most  vitally 
interested.  He  would  serve  and  save  Graustark,  as 
you  know,  and  he  would  satisfy  Axphain.  It  is  in 
my  power  to  give  you  aid  at  this  last,  trying  hour, 
and  I  implore  you  to  listen  to  my  words  of  sincerest 


310  GRAUSTARK 

friendship — yes,  adoration.  To-morrow  you  are  to 
pay  to  Prince  Bolaroz  over  twenty-five  million 
gavvos  or  relinquish  the  entire  north  half  of  your 
domain.  I  understand  the  lamentable  situation.  You 
can  raise  no  more  than  fifteen  millions,  and  you  are 
helpless.  He  will  grant  no  extension  of  time.  You 
know  what  I  have  prcffered  before.  I  come  to-day 
to  repeat  my  friendly  offer  and  to  give  unquestioned 
bond  to  my  ability  to  carry  it  out.  If  you  agree  to 
accept  the  1  n  I  extend,  ten  million  gavvos  for 
fifteen  years  at  the  usual  rate  of  interest,  you  can 
on  to-morrow  morning  place  in  the  hand  of  Axphain 
when  he  makes  his  formal  demand  the  full  amount 
of  your  indebtedness  in  gold.  Ricardo,  open  the 
chest!" 

An  attendant  threw  open  the  lid  of  the  chest.  It 
was  filled  with  gold  coins. 

"  This  box  contains  one  hundercd  thousand  gawos. 
There  are  in  your  halls  nine  boxes  holding  nine 
times  as  much  as  you  see  here.  And  there  are  nine 
times  as  much  all  told  on  the  way.  This  is  an 
evidence  of  my  good  faith.  Here  is  the  gold.  Pay 
Bolaroz  and  owe  Gabriel,  the  greatest  happiness  that 
could  come  to  him." 

There  was  a  dead  silence  after  this  theatrical 
action. 

"  The  interest  on  this  loan  is  not  all  you  ask,  I 
understand,"  said  Halfont,  slowly,  his  black  eyes 
glittering.  "  You  ask  something  that  Graustark  can 
not  and  will  not  barter — the  hand  of  its  sovereign. 
If  you  are  willing  to  make  this  loan,  naming  a  fair 


GRENFALL  LORRY'S  FOE  311 

rate  of  interest,  withdrawing  your  proposal  of  mar 
riage,  we  can  come  to  an  agreement." 

Gabriel's  eyes  deadened  with  disappointment,  his 
breast  heaved  and  his  fingers  twitched. 

"  I  have  the  happiness  of  your  sovereign  at  heart 
as  much  as  my  own,"  he  said.  "  She  shall  never 
want  for  devotion,  she  shall  never  know  a  pain." 

"  You  are  determined,  then,  to  adhere  to  your 
original  proposition?  "  demanded  the  Count. 

"  She  would  have  married  Lorenz  to  save  her  land, 
to  protect  her  people.  Am  I  not  as  good  as  Lorenz? 

Why  not  give "  began  Gabriel,  viciously,  but 

Yetive  arose,  and,  with  gleaming  eyes  and  flushing 
cheeks,  interrupted  him. 

"  Go  !     I  will  not  hear  you — not  one  word !  " 

He  passed  from  the  room  without  another  word. 
Her  court  saw  her  standing  straight  and  immovable, 
her  white  face  transfigured. 


XXIII 

THE    VISITOR   AT    MIDNIGHT 

Below  the  castle  and  its  distressed  occupants,  in 
a  dark,  damp  little  room,  Grenfall  Lorry  lived  a 
year  in  a  day.  On  the  night  of  the  eighteenth,  or 
rather  near  the  break  of  dawn  on  the  nineteenth, 
Captain  Quinnox  guided  him  from  the  dangerous 
streets  of  Edelweiss  to  the  secret  passage,  and  he 
was  safe  for  the  time  being.  The  entrance  to  the 
passage  was  through  a  skilfully  hidden  opening  in 
the  wall  that  enclosed  the  park.  A  stone  doorway, 
so  cleverly  constructed  that  it  defied  detection,  led 
to  a  set  of  steps  which,  in  turn,  took  one  to  a  long, 
narrow  passage.  This  ended  in  a  stairway  fully  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  its  beginning.  Ascending 
this  stairway,  one  came  to  a  secret  panel,  through 
which,  by  pressing  a  spring,  the  interior  of  the  castle 
was  reached.  The  location  of  the  panel  was  in  one 
of  the  recesses  in  the  wall  of  the  chapel,  near  the 
altar.  It  was  in  this  chapel  that  Yetive  exchanged 
her  male  attire  for  a  loose  gown,  weeks  before,  and 
the  servant  who  saw  her  come  from  the  door  at  an 
unearthly  hour  in  the  morning  believed  she  had  gone 
there  to  seek  surcease  from  the  troubles  which  op 
pressed  her. 

312 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         313 

Lorry  was  impatient  to  rush  forth  from  his  place 
of  hiding  and  to  end  all  suspense,  but  Quinnox  de 
murred.  He  begged  the  eager  American  to  remain 
in  the  passage  until  the  night  of  the  nineteenth, 
when,  all  things  going  well,  he  might  be  so  fortunate 
as  to  reach  the  Princess  without  being  seen.  It  was 
the  secret  hope  of  the  guilty  captain  that  his  charge 
could  be  indu  cd  by  the  Princess  to  return  to  the 
monastery,  to  avoid  complications.  He  promised  to 
inform  Her  Highness  of  his  presence  in  the  under 
ground  room  and  to  arrange  for  a  meeting.  The 
miserable  fellow  could  not  find  courage  to  confess 
his  disobedience  to  his  trusting  mistress.  Many 
times  during  the  day  she  had  seen  him  hovering 
near,  approaching  and  then  retreating,  and  had  won 
dered  not  a  little  at  his  peculiar  manner. 

And  so  it  was  that  Lorry  chafed  and  writhed 
through  a  long  day  of  suspense  and  agony.  Quin 
nox  had  brought  to  the  little  room  some  candles, 
food  and  bedding,  but  he  utilized  only  the  former. 
The  hours  went  by  and  no  summons  called  him  to 
her  side.  He  was  dying  with  the  desire  to  hold  her 
in  his  arms  and  to  hear  her  voice  again.  Pacing  to 
and  fro  like  a  caged  animal,  he  recalled  the  ride  in 
West  Virginia,  the  scene  in  her  bedchamber,  the 
day  in  the  throne  room  and,  more  delicious  than  all, 
the  trip  to  the  monastery.  In  his  dreams,  waking 
or  sleeping,  he  had  seen  the  slim  soldier,  had  heard 
the  muffled  voice,  and  had  felt  the  womanly  caresses. 
His  brain  now  was  in  a  whirl,  busy  with  thoughts 
of  love  and  fear,  distraught  with  anxiety  for  her 


314  GRAUSTARK 

and  for  himself,  bursting  with  the  awful  conse 
quences  of  the  hour  that  was  upon  them.  What  was 
to  become  of  him?  What  was  to  be  the  end  of  this 
drama?  What  would  the  night,  the  morrow,  bring 
about? 

He  looked  back  and  saw  himself  as  he  was  a  year 
ago  in  Washington,  before  she  came  into  his  life, 
and  then  wondered  if  it  could  really  be  he  who  was 
going  through  these  strange,  improbable  scenes, 
these  sensations.  It  was  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening 
when  Quinnox  returned  to  the  little  room.  The 
waiting  one  had  looked  at  his  watch  a  hundred  times, 
had  run  insanely  up  and  down  the  passage  in  quest 
of  the  secret  exit,  had  shouted  aloud  in  the  frenzy 
of  desperation. 

"  Have  you  seen  her?  "  he  cried,  grasping  the  new 
comer's  hand. 

"  I  have,  but,  before  God,  I  could  not  tell  her 
what  I  had  done.  Your  visit  will  be  a  surprise,  I 
fear  a  shock." 

"Then  how  am  I  to  see  her?  Fool!  Am  I  to 
wait  here  forever 

"  Have  patience !  I  will  take  you  to  her  to-night — 
aye,  within  an  hour.  To-morrow  morning  she  signs 
away  the  northern  provinces,  and  her  instructions 
are  that  she  is  not  to  be  disturbed  to-night.  Not 
even  will  she  see  the  Countess  Dagmar  after  nine 
o'clock.  It  breaks  my  heart  to  see  the  sorrow  that 
abounds  in  the  castle  to-night.  Her  Highness  in 
sists  on  being  alone,  and  Bassot,  the  new  guard,  has 
orders  to  admit  no  one  to  her  apartments.  He  is 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         315 

ill,  and  I  have  promised  that  a  substitute  shall  relieve 
him  at  eleven  o'clock.  You  are  to  be  the  substitute. 
Here  is  a  part  of  an  old  uniform  of  mine,  and  here 
is  a  coat  that  belonged  to  Dannox,  who  was  about 
your  size.  Please  exchange  the  clothes  you  now 
have  on  for  these.  I  apprehend  no  trouble  in  reach 
ing  her  door,  for  the  household  is  in  gloom  and  the 
halls  seem  barren  of  life." 

He  threw  the  bundle  on  a  chair  and  Lorry  at  once 
proceeded  to  don  the  contents.  In  a  very  short  time 
he  wore,  instead  of  the  cell  keeper's  garments,  a 
neat-fitting  uniform  of  the  royal  guard.  He  was 
trembling  violently,  chilled  to  the  bone  with  nervous 
ness,  as  they  began  the  ascent  of  the  stairs  leading 
to  the  chapel.  The  crisis  in  his  life,  he  felt,  was 
near  at  hand. 

Under  the  stealthy  hand  of  Quinnox  the  panel 
opened  and  they  listened  intently  for  some  moments. 
There  was  no  one  in  the  dimly  lighted  chapel,  so 
they  made  their  way  to  the  door  at  the  opposite 
end.  The  great  organ  looked  down  upon  them  and 
Lorry  expected  every  instant  to  hear  it  burst  forth  in 
sounds  of  thunder.  It  seemed  alive  and  watching 
their  movements  reproachfully.  Before  unlocking 
the  door,  the  captain  pointed  to  a  lance  which  stood 
against  the  wall  near  by. 

"  You  are  to  carry  that  lance,"  he  said,  briefly. 
Then  he  cautiously  peered  forth.  A  moment  later 
they  were  in  the  broad  hall,  boldly  striding  toward 
the  distant  stairway.  Lorry  had  been  instructed  to 
proceed  without  the  least  sign  of  timidity.  They 


316  GRAUSTARK 

passed  several  attendants  in  the  hall  and  heard  Count 
Halfont's  voice  in  conversation  with  some  one  in  an 
ante-room.  As  they  neared  the  broad  steps,  who 
should  come  tripping  down  but  Harry  Anguish.  He 
saluted  Quinnox  and  walked  rapidly  down  the  cor 
ridor,  evidently  taking  his  departure  after  a  call  on 
the  Countess. 

"  There  goes  your  hostage,"  said  the  captain, 
grimly.  It  had  required  all  of  Lorry's  self-posses 
sion  to  restrain  the  cry  of  joyful  recognition.  Up 
the  staircase  they  went,  meeting  several  ladies  and 
gentlemen  coming  down,  and  were  soon  before  the 
apartments  of  the  Princess.  A  tall  guard  stood  in 
front  of  the  boudoir  door. 

"  This  is  your  relief,  Bassot.  You  may  go,"  said 
Quinnox,  and,  with  a  careless  glance  at  the  strange 
soldier,  the  sick  man  trudged  off  down  the  hall,  glad 
to  seek  his  bed. 

"  Is  she  there?  "  whispered  Lorry,  dizzy  and  faint 
with  expectancy. 

"  Yes.  This  may  mean  your  death  and  mine,  sir, 
but  you  would  do  it.  Will  you  explain  to  her  how  I 
came  to  play  her  false?  " 

"  She  shall  know  the  truth,  good  friend." 

"  After  I  have  gone  twenty  paces  down  the  hall, 
do  you  rap  on  the  door.  She  may  not  admit  you  at 
first,  but  do  not  give  up.  If  she  bid  you  enter  or 
asks  your  mission,  enter  quickly  and  close  the  door. 
It  is  unlocked.  She  may  swoon,  or  scream,  and  you 
must  prevent  either,  if  possible.  In  an  hour  I  shall 
return,  and  you  must  go  back  to  the  passage." 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         317 

"  Never !  I  have  come  to  save  her  and  her  coun 
try,  and  I  intend  to  do  so  by  surrendering  myself 
this  very  night." 

"  I  had  hoped  to  dissuade  you.  But,  sir,  you  can 
not  do  so  to-night.  You  forget  that  this  visit  com 
promises  her." 

"  True.  I  had  forgotten.  Well,  I'll  go  back  with 
you,  but  to-morrow  I  am  your  prisoner,  not  your 
friend." 

"  Be  careful,"  cautioned  the  captain,  as  he  moved 
away.  Lorry  feverishly  tapped  his  knuckles  on  the 
panel  of  the  door  and  waited  with  motionless  heart 
for  the  response.  It  came  not,  and  he  rapped  harder, 
a  strange  fear  darting  into  his  mind. 

"  Well?  "  came  from  within,  the  voice  he  adored. 

Impetuous  haste  marked  his  next  movement.  He 
dashed  open  the  door,  sprang  inside  and  closed  it 
quickly.  She  was  sitting  before  her  escritoire,  writ 
ing,  and  looked  up,  surprised  and  annoyed. 

"  I  was  not  to  be  disturbed — oh,  God !  " 

She  staggered  to  her  feet  and  was  in  his  arms  be 
fore  the  breath  of  her  exclamation  had  died  away. 
Had  he  not  supported  her  she  would  have  dropped 
to  the  floor.  Her  hands,  her  face  were  like  ice,  her 
breast  was  pulseless  and  there  was  the  wildest  terror 
in  her  eyes. 

"  My  darling — my  queen !  "  he  cried,  passionately. 
"  At  last  I  am  with  you.  Don't  look  at  me  like  that ! 
It  is  really  I — I  could  not  stay  away — I  could  not 
permit  this  sacrifice  of  yours.  Speak  to  me!  Do 
not  stare  like  that!  " 


318  GRAUSTARK 

Her  wide  blue  eyes  slowly  swept  his  face,  piteous 
wonder  and  doubt  struggling  in  their  depths. 

"  Am  I  awake?  "  she  murmured,  touching  his  face 
with  her  bewildered,  questioning  hands.  "  Is  it  truly 
you?  "  A  smile  illumined  her  face,  but  her  joy  was 
short-lived.  An  expression  of  terror  came  to  her 
eyes  and  there  was  agony  in  the  fingers  that  clasped 
his  arm.  "  Why  do  you  come  here?  "  she  cried.  "  It 
is  madness !  How  and  why  came  you  to  this  room  ?  " 

He  laughed  like  a  delighted  boy  and  hastily  nar 
rated  the  events  of  the  past  twenty-four  hours,  end 
ing  with  the  trick  that  gave  him  entrance  to  her 
room. 

"  And  all  this  to  see  me?  "  she  whispered. 

"  To  see  you  and  to  save  you.  I  hear  that  Gabriel 
has  been  annoying  you  and  that  you  are  to  give  up 
half  of  the  kingdom  to-morrow.  Tell  me  every 
thing.  It  is  another  reason  for  my  coming." 

Sitting  beside  him  on  the  divan,  she  told  of 
Gabriel's  visit  and  his  dismissal,  the  outlook  for  the 
next  day,  and  then  sought  to  convince  him  of  the 
happiness  it  afforded  her  to  protect  him  from  an 
undeserved  death.  He  obtained  for  Quinnox  the 
royal  pardon  and  lauded  him  to  the  skies.  So  rav 
ishing  were  the  moments,  so  ecstatic  the  sensations, 
that  possessed  them  that  neither  thought  of  the  con 
sequences  if  he  were  to  be  discovered  in  her  room, 
disguised  as  one  of  her  guardsmen.  He  forgot  the 
real  import  of  his  reckless  visit  until  she  commanded 
him  to  stand  erect  before  her  that  she  might  see 
what  manner  of  soldier  he  was.  With  a  laugh  he 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         319 

leaped  to  his  feet  and  stood  before  her — attention! 
She  leaned  back  among  the  cushions  and  surveyed 
him  through  the  glowing,  impassioned  eyes  which 
slowly  closed  as  if  to  shut  out  temptation. 

"  You  are  a  perfect  soldier,"  she  said,  her  lashes 
parting  ever  so  slightly. 

"  No  more  perfect  than  you,"  he  cried.  She  re 
membered,  with  confusion,  her  own  masquerading,  but 
it  was  unkind  of  him  to  remember  it.  Her  allu 
sion  to  his  uniform  turned  his  thoughts  into  the 
channel  through  which  they  had  been  surging  so 
turbulently  up  to  the  moment  that  found  him  tap 
ping  at  her  door.  He  had  not  told  her  of  his  deter 
mination,  and  the  task  grew  harder  as  he  saw  the 
sparkle  glow  brighter  and  brighter  in  her  eye. 

"  You  are  a  brave  soldier,  then,"  she  substituted. 
"  It  required  courage  to  come  to  Edelweiss  with  hun 
dreds  of  men  ready  to  seize  you  at  sight, — a  pack  of 
bloodhounds." 

"  I  should  have  been  a  miserable  coward  to  stay  up 
there  while  you  are  so  bravely  facing  disaster  alone 
down  here.  I  came  to  help  you,  as  I  should." 

"  But  you  can  do  nothing,  dear,  and  you  only  make 
matters  worse  by  coming  to  me.  I  have  fought  so 
hard  to  overcome  the  desire  to  be  near  you;  I  have 
struggled  against  myself  for  days  and  days,  and  I 
had  won  the  battle  when  you  came  to  pull  my  walls 
of  strength  down  about  my  ears.  Look!  On  my 
desk  is  a  letter  I  was  writing  to  you.  No ;  you  shall 
not  read  it!  No  one  shall  ever  know  what  it  con 
tains."  She  darted  to  the  desk,  snatched  up  the 


320  GRAUSTARK 

sheets  of  paper  and  held  them  over  the  waxed  taper. 
He  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  a  feeling  of  in 
tense  desolation  settling  down  upon  him.  How  could 
he  lose  this  woman? 

"  To-morrow  night  Quinnox  is  to  take  you  from 
the  monastery  and  conduct  you  to  a  distant  city.  It 
has  been  all  planned.  Your  friend,  Mr.  Anguish,  is 
to  meet  you  in  three  days,  and  you  are  to  hurry  to 
America  by  way  of  Athens.  This  was  a  letter  to 
you.  In  it  I  said  many  things  and  was  trying  to 
write  farewell  when  you  came  to  this  room.  Do 
you  wonder  that  I  was  overcome  with  doubt  and 
amazement — yes,  and  horror?  Ach,  what  peril  you 
are  in  here !  Every  minute  may  bring  discovery,  and 
that  would  mean  death  to  you.  You  are  innocent, 
but  nothing  could  save  you.  The  proof  is  too  strong. 
Mizrox  has  found  a  man  who  swears  he  saw  you 
enter  Lorenz's  room." 

"  What  a  damnable  lie !  "  cried  Lorry,  lightly.  "  I 
was  not  near  his  room !  " 

"  But  you  can  see  what  means  they  will  adopt  to 
convict  you.  You  are  doomed  if  caught,  by  my  men 
or  theirs.  I  cannot  save  you  again.  You  know  now 
that  I  love  you.  I  would  not  give  away  half  of  the 
land  that  my  forefathers  ruled  were  it  not  true. 
Bolaroz  would  be  glad  to  grant  ten  years  of  grace 
could  he  but  have  you  in  his  clutches.  And,  to  see 
me,  you  would  run  the  risk  of  undoing  all  that  I 
have  planned,  accomplished  and  suffered  for.  Could 
you  not  have  been  content  with  that  last  good-bye  at 
the  monastery?  It  is  cruel  to  both  of  us — to  me 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         321 

especially — that  we  must  have  the  parting 
again."  She  had  gone  to  the  divan  and  now  dropped 
limply  among  the  cushions,  resting  her  head  on  her 
hand. 

"  I  was  determined  to  see  you,"  he  said.  "  They 
shall  not  kill  me  nor  are  you  to  sacrifice  your  father's 
domain.  Worse  than  all,  I  feared  that  you  might 
yield  to  Gabriel " 

"  Ach !  You  insult  me  when  you  say  that !  I 
yielded  to  Lorenz  because  I  thought  it  my  duty  and 
because  I  dared  not  admit  to  myself  that  I  loved 
you.  But  Gabriel !  Ach ! "  she  cried,  soulfully. 
"  Grenfall  Lorry,  I  shall  marry  no  man.  You  I 
love,  but  you  I  cannot  marry.  It  is  folly  to  dream 
of  it,  even  as  a  possibility.  When  you  go  from 
Graustark  to-morrow  night  you  take  my  heart,  my 
life,  my  soul  with  you.  I  shall  never  see  you  again 
— God  help  me  to  say  this — I  shall  never  allow  you 
to  see  me  again.  I  tell  you  I  could  not  bear  it.  The 
weakest  and  the  strongest  of  God's  creations  is 
woman."  She  started  suddenly,  half  rising.  "  Did 
any  one  see  you  come  to  my  room?  Was  Quinnox 
sure?  " 

"  We  passed  people,  but  no  one  knew  me.  I  will 
go  if  you  are  distressed  over  my  being  here." 

"  It  is  not  that — not  that.  Some  spy  may  have 
seen  you.  I  have  a  strange  fear  that  they  suspect 
me  and  that  I  am  being  watched.  Where  is  Captain 
Quinnox  ?  " 

"  He  said  he  would  return  for  me  in  an  hour.    The 

t 

time  is  almost  gone.     How  it  has  flown !     Yetive, 


322  GRAUSTARK 

Yetive,  I  will  not  give  you  up !  "  he  cried,  sinking  to 
his  knees  before  her. 

"  You  must — you  shall !  You  must  go  back  to  the 
monastery  to-night !  Oh,  how  I  pray  that  you  may 
reach  it  in  safety  !  And,  you  must  leave  this  wretched 
country  at  once.  Will  you  sec  if  Quinnox  is  out 
side  the  door?  Be  quick.  I  am  mad  with  the  fear 
that  you  may  be  found  here — that  you  may  be  taken 
before  you  can  return  to  St.  Valentine's." 

He  arose  and  stood  looking  down  at  the  intense 
face,  all  aquiver  with  the  battle  between  temptation 
and  solicitude. 

"  I  am  not  going  back  to  St.  Valentine's,"  he  said, 
slowly. 

"  But  it  is  all  arranged  for  you  to  start  from  there 
to-morrow.  You  cannot  escape  the  city  guard  ex 
cept  through  St.  Valentine's." 

"  Yetive,  has  it  not  occurred  to  you  that  I  may  not 
wish  to  escape  the  city  guard?  " 

"  May  not  wish  to  escape  the — what  do  you 
mean?  "  she  cried,  bewildered. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  leave  Edelweiss,  dearest.  It 
is  my  intention  to  surrender  myself  to  the  authori 
ties." 

She  gazed  at  him  in  horror  for  a  moment  and  then 
fell  back  with  a  low  moan. 

"  For  God's  sake,  do  not  say  that !  "  she  wailed. 
"  I  forbid  'you  to  think  of  it.  You  cannot  do  this 
after  all  I  have  done  to  save  you.  Ach,  you  are  jest 
ing;  I  should  have  known." 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         323 

He  sat  down  and  drew  her  to  his  side.  Some 
moments  passed  before  he  could  speak. 

"  I  cannot  and  will  not  permit  you  to  make  such 
a  sacrifice  for  me.  The  proposition  of  Bolaroz  is 
known  to  me.  If  you  produce  me  for  trial  you  are 
to  have  a  ten  years'  extension.  My  duty  is  plain. 
I  am  no  cowardly  criminal,  and  I  am  not  afraid  to 
face  my  accusers.  At  the  worst,  I  can  die  but 
once." 

"  Die  but  once,"  she  repeated,  as  if  in  a  dream. 

"  I  came  here  to  tell  you  of  my  decision,  to  ask 
you  to  save  your  lands,  protect  your  people,  and  to 
remember  that  I  would  die  a  thousand  times  to  serve 
you  and  yours." 

"  After  all  I  have  done — after  all  I  have  done," 
she  murmured,  piteously.  "  No,  no !  You  shall  not ! 
You  are  more  to  me  than  all  my  kingdom,  than  all 
the  people  in  the  world.  You  have  made  me  love 
you,  you  have  caused  me  to  detest  the  throne  which 
separates  us,  you  have  made  me  pray  that  I  might 
be  a  pauper,  but  you  shall  not  force  me  to  destroy 
the  mite  of  hope  that  lingers  in  my  heart.  You 
shall  not  crush  the  hope  that  there  may  be  a — a — 
some  day !  " 

"A  some  day?  Some  day  when  you  will  be 
mine?  "  he  cried. 

"  I  will  not  say  that,  but,  for  my  sake, — for  my 
sake, — go  away  from  this  place.  Save  yourself ! 
You  are  all  I  have  to  live  for."  Her  arms  were 
about  his  neck  and  her  imploring  words  went  to  his 
heart  like  great  thrusts  of  pain. 


324  GRAUSTARK 

"  You  forget  the  thousands  who  love  and  trust 
you.  Do  they  deserve  to  be  wronged?  " 

"  No,  no, — ach,  God,  how  I  have  suffered  because 
of  them !  I  have  betrayed  them,  have  stolen  their 
rights  and  made  them  a  nation  of  beggars.  But  I 
would  not,  for  all  this  nation,  have  an  innocent  man 
condemned — nor  could  my  people  ask  that  of  me. 
You  cannot  dissuade  me.  It  must  be  as  I  wish. 
Oh,  why  does  not  Quinnox  come  for  you ! "  She 
arose  and  paced  the  floor  distractedly. 

He  was  revolving  a  selfish,  cowardly  capitulation 
to  love  and  injustice,  when  a  sharp  tap  was  heard  at 
the  door.  Leaping  to  his  feet,  he  whispered: 

"  Quinnox !  He  has  come  for  me.  Now  to  get 
out  of  your  room  without  being  seen !  " 

The  Princess  Yetive  ran  to  him,  and,  placing  her 
hands  on  his  shoulders,  cried  with  the  fierceness  of 
despair : 

"You  will  go  back  to  the  monastery?  You  will 
leave  Graustark?  For  my  sake — for  my  sake!  " 

He  hesitated  and  then  surrendered,  his  honor  fall 
ing  weak  and  faint  by  the  pathway  of  passion. 

"  Yes !  "  he  cried,  hoarsely. 

Tap !  tap !  tap  !  at  the  door.  Lorry  took  one  look 
at  the  rapturous  face  and  released  her. 

"  Come !  "  she  called. 

The  door  flew  open,  an  attendant  saluted,  and  in 
stepped — Gabriel ! 


XXIV 

OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON 

The  tableau  lasted  but  a  moment.  Gabriel  ad 
vanced  a  few  steps,  his  eyes  gleaming  with  jealousy 
and  triumph.  Before  him  stood  the  petrified  lovers, 
caught  red-handed.  Through  her  dazed  brain  strug 
gled  the  conviction  that  he  could  never  escape; 
through  his  ran  the  miserable  realization  that  he 
had  ruined  her  forever.  Gabriel,  of  all  men ! 

"  I  arrive  inopportunely,"  he  said,  harshly,  the 
veins  standing  out  on  his  neck  and  temples.  "  Do 
I  intrude?  I  was  not  aware  that  you  expected  two, 
Your  Highness  !  "  There  was  no  mistaking  his  mean 
ing.  He  viciously  sought  to  convey  the  impression 
that  he  was  there  by  appointment,  a  clandestine  vis 
itor  in  her  apartments  at  midnight. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  coming  to  my  apartment 
at  this  hour?  "  she  stammered,  trying  to  rescue  dig 
nity  from  the  chaos  of  emotions.  Lorry  was  stand 
ing  slightly  to  the  right  and  several  feet  behind  her. 
He  understood  the  Prince,  and  quickly  sought  to  in 
terpose  with  the  hope  that  he  might  shield  her  from 
the  sting. 

"  She  did  not  expect  me,  sir,"  he  said,  and  a  men 
acing  gleam  came  to  his  eyes.  His  pistol  was  in  his 

325 


326  GRAUSTARK 

hand.  Gabriel  saw  it,  but  the  staring  Princess  did 
not.  She  could  not  take  her  eyes  from  the  face 
of  the  intruder.  "  Now,  may  I  ask  you  why  you 
are  here?  " 

Gabriel's  wit  saved  hirn  from  death.  He  saw 
that  he  could  not  pursue  the  course  he  had  begun, 
for  there  was  murder  in  the  American's  eye.  Like 
a  fox  he  swerved,  and,  with  a  servile  promise  of  sub 
mission  in  his  glance,  he  said: 

"  I  thought  you  were  here,  my  fine  fellow,  and  I 
came  to  satisfy  myself.  Now,  sir,  may  I  ask  why 
you  are  here  ?  "  His  fingers  twitched  and  his  eyes 
were  glassy  with  the  malevolence  he  was  subduing. 

"  I  am  here  as  a  prisoner,"  said  Lorry,  boldly. 
Gabriel  laughed  derisively. 

"  And  how  often  have  you  come  here  in  this  man 
ner  as  a  prisoner?  Midnight  and  alone  in  the  apart 
ments  of  the  Princess !  The  guard  dismissed !  A 
prisoner,  eh?  Ha,  what  a  prison!  " 

"  Stop !  "  cried  Lorry,  white  to  the  lips. 

The  Princess  was  beginning  to  understand.  Her 
eyes  grew  wide  with  horror,  her  figure  straightened 
imperiously  and  the  white  in  her  cheeks  gave  way  to 
the  red  of  insulted  virtue. 

"  I  see  it  all !  You  have  not  been  outside  this 
castle  since  you  left  the  prison.  A  pretty  scheme! 
You  could  not  marry  him,  could  you,  eh?  He  is  not 
a  Prince!  But  you  could  bring  him  here  and  hide 
him  where  no  one  would  dare  to  think  of  looking 
for  him — in  your  apartments 

With  a  snarl  of  rage,  Lorry  sprang  upon  him, 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  327 

cutting  short  the  sentence  that  would  have  gone 
through  her  like  the  keenest  knife-blade. 

"  Liar !  Dog !  I'll  kill  you  for  that !  "  he  cried, 
but,  before  he  could  clutch  the  Prince's  throat,  Yet- 
ive  had  frantically  seized  his  arm. 

"Not  that!"  she  shrieked.  "Do  not  kill  him! 
There  must  be  no  murder  here !  " 

He  reluctantly  hurled  Gabriel  from  him,  the 
Prince  tottering  to  his  knees  in  the  effort  to  keep 
from  falling.  She  had  saved  her  maligner's  life,  but 
courage  deserted  her  with  the  act.  Helplessly  she 
looked  into  the  blazing  eyes  of  her  lover  and  fal 
tered  : 

"  1 — I  do  not  know  what  to  say  or  do.  My  brain 
is  bursting !  " 

"  Courage,  courage !  "  he  whispered,  gently. 

"  You  shall  pay  for  this,"  shrieked  Gabriel.  "  If 
you  are  not  a  prisoner  you  shall  be.  There'll  be 
scandal  enough  in  Graustark  to-morrow  to  start  a 
volcano  of  wrath  from  the  royal  tombs  where  lie  her 
fathers.  I'll  see  that  you  are  a  prisoner ! "  He 
started  for  the  door,  but  Lorry's  pistol  was  leveled 
at  his  head. 

"If  you  move  I'll  kill  you!" 

"  The  world  will  understand  how  and  why  I  fell 
by  your  hand  in  this  room.  Shoot !  "  he  cried,  tri 
umphantly.  Lorry's  hand  trembled  and  his  eyes 
filled  with  the  tears  of  impotent  rage.  The  Prince 
held  the  higher  card. 

A  face  suddenly  appeared  at  the  door,  which  had 
been  stealthily  opened  from  without.  Captain  Quin- 


328  GRAUSTARK 

nox   glided   into   the   room   behind   the   Prince   and 
gently   closed   the  door,   unnoticed   by   the  gloater. 
"  A  prisoner?  "  sneered  Gabriel.     "  Where  is  your 
captor,  pray?  " 

"  Here !  "  answered  a  voice  at  his  back.    The  Prince 
wheeled  and  found  himself  looking  at  the  stalwart 
form  of  the  captain  of  the  guard.     "  I  am  surely 
privileged  to  speak  now,  Your  Highness,"  he  went 
on,  addressing  the  Princess,  significantly. 
"  How  came  you  here?  "  gasped  Gabriel. 
"  I  brought  my  prisoner  here.     Where  should  I  be 
if  not  here  to  guard  him?  " 

"  When — when  did  you  enter  this  room?  " 
"  An  hour  ago." 

"  You  were  not  here  when  I  came !  " 
"  I  have  been  standing  on  this  spot  for  an  hour. 
You  have  been  very  much  excited,   I'll   agree,  but 
it  is  strange  you  did  not  see  me,"  lied  Quinnox. 
Gabriel  looked  about  helplessly,  nonplussed. 
"  You  were  here  when  I  came  in?  "  he  asked,  won- 
deringly. 

"  Ask  Her  Royal  Highness,"  commanded  the  cap 
tain,  smiling. 

"  Captain  Quinnox  brought  the  prisoner  to  me  an 
hour  ago,"  she  said  mechanically. 

"  It  is  a  lie !  "  cried  Gabriel.     "  He  was  not  here 
when  I  entered !  " 

The  captain  of  the  guard  laid  a  heavy  hand  on 

the  shoulder  of  the  Prince  and  said,  threateningly: 

"  I  was  here  and  I  am  here.     Have  a  care  how 

you  speak.     Were  I  to  do  right  I  should  shoot  you 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  329 

like  a  dog.  You  came  like  a  thief,  you  insult  the 
ruler  of  my  land.  I  have  borne  it  all  because  you 
are  a  Prince,  but  have  a  care — have  a  care.  I  may 
forget  myself  and  tear  out  your  black  heart  with 
these  hands.  One  word  from  Her  Royal  Highness 
will  be  your  death  warrant." 

He  looked  inquiringly  at  the  Princess,  as  if  anx 
ious  to  put  the  dangerous  witness  where  he  could 
tell  no  tales.  She  shook  her  head,  but  did  not  speak. 
Lorry  realized  that  the  time  had  come  for  him  to 
assert  himself.  Assuming  a  distressed  air,  he  bowed 
his  head  and  said,  dejectedly: 

"  My  pleading  has  been  in  vain,  then,  Your  High 
ness.  I  have  sworn  to  you  that  I  am  innocent  of  this 
murder,  and  you  have  said  I  shall  have  a  fair  trial. 
That  is  all  you  can  offer?  " 

"  That  is  all,"  she  said,  shrilly,  her  mind  gradually 
grasping  his  meaning. 

"  You  will  not  punish  the  poor  people  who  secreted 
me  in  their  house  for  weeks,  for  they  are  convinced 
of  my  innocence.  Your  captain  here,  who  found 
me  in  their  house  to-night,  can  also  speak  well  of 
them.  I  have  only  this  request  to  make,  in  return 
for  what  little  service  I  may  have  given  you:  For 
give  the  old  people  who  befriended  me.  I  am  ready 
to  go  to  the  Tower  at  once,  captain." 

Gabriel  heard  this  speech  with  a  skeptical  smile  on 
his  face. 

"  I  am  no  fool,"  he  said,  simply.  "  Captain," 
shrewdly  turning  to  Quinnox,  "  if  he  is  your  pris 
oner,  why  do  you  permit  him  to  retain  his  revolver?  " 


330  GRAUSTARK 

The  conspirators  were  taken  by  surprise,  but 
Lorry  had  found  his  wits. 

"  It  is  folly,  Your  Highness,  to  allow  this  gentle 
man  and  conquering  Prince  to  cross-examine  you.  I 
am  a  prisoner,  and  that  is  the  end  of  it.  What 
odds  is  it  to  the  Prince  of  Dawsbergen  how  and 
where  I  was  caught  or  why  your  officer  brought  me 
to  you?" 

"  You  were  ordered  from  my  house  once  to-day, 
yet  you  come  again  like  a  conqueror.  I  should  not 
spare  you.  You  deserve  to  lose  your  life  for  the 
actions  of  to-night.  Captain  Quinnox,  will  you  kill 
him  if  I  ask  you  to  end  his  wretched  life?  "  Yetive's 
eyes  were  blazing  with  wrath,  beneath  which  gleamed 
a  hope  that  he  could  be  frightened  into  silence. 

"Willingly — willingly!"  cried  Quinnox.  "Now, 
Your  Highness?  'Twere  better  in  the  hall !  " 

"  For  God's  sake,  do  not  murder  me !  Let  me  go !  " 
cringed  the  Prince. 

*'  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  kill  him  now, 
Quinnox,  but  I  instruct  you  to  do  so  if  he  puts  foot 
inside  these  walls  again.  Do  you  understand?  " 

"  Yes,  Your  Highness." 

rt  Then  you  will  place  this  prisoner  in  the  castle 
dungeon  until  to-morrow  morning,  when  he  is  to  be 
taken  to  the  Tower.  Prince  Gabriel  may  accom 
pany  you  to  the  dungeon  cell,  if  he  likes,  after  which 
you  will  escort  him  to  the  gates.  If  he  enters  them 
again  you  are  to  kill  him.  Take  them  both  away !  " 

"  Your  Highness,  I  must  ask  you  to  write  a  par- 
clon  for  the  good  people  in  whose  house  the  prisoner 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  331 

was  found,"  suggested  Quinnox,  shrewdly  seeing  a 
chance  for  communication  unsuspected  by  the  Prince. 

"  A  moment,  Your  Highness,"  said  the  Prince,  who 
had  recovered  himself  cleverly.  "  I  appreciate  your 
position.  I  have  made  a  serious  charge,  and  I  now 
have  a  fair  proposition  to  suggest  to  you  If  this 
man  is  not  produced  to-morrow  morning,  I  take  it 
for  granted  that  I  am  at  liberty  to  tell  all  that  has 
happened  in  his  room  to-night!  If  he  is  produced, 
I  shall  kneel  and  beg  your  pardon." 

The  Princess  turned  paler  than  ever,  and  knew 
not  how  she  kept  from  falling  to  the  floor.  There 
was  a  long  silence  following  Gabriel's  unexpected 
but  fair  suggestion. 

"  That  is  very  fair,  Your  Highness,"  said  Lorry. 
"  There  is  no  reason  why  I  should  not  be  a  prisoner 
to-morrow  I  don't  see  how  I  can  hope  to  escape 
the  inevitable.  Your  dungeon  is  strong  and  I  have 
given  my  word  of  honor  to  the  captain  that  I  shall 
make  no  further  effort  to  evade  the  law." 

"  I  agree,"  murmured  the  Princess,  ready  to  faint 
under  the  strain. 

"  I  must  see  him  delivered  to  Prince  Bolaroz," 
added  Gabriel,  mercilessly. 

"  To  Bolaroz,"  she  repeated. 

"  Your  Highness,  the  pardon  for  the  poor  old  peo 
ple,"  reminded  Quinnox.  She  glided  to  the  desk, 
stunned,  bewildered.  It  seemed  as  though  death 
were  upon  her.  Quinnox  followed,  and  bent  near 
her  ear.  "  Do  not  be  alarmed,"  he  whispered.  "  No 
one  knows  of  Mr.  Lorry's  presence  here,  save  the 


332  GRAUSTARK 

Prince,  and  if  he  dares  to  accuse  you  before  Bolaroz 
our  people  will  tear  him  to  pieces.  No  one  will  be 
lieve  him." 

"  You — you  can  save  him,  then?  "  she  gasped,  joy 
ously. 

"  If  he  will  permit  me  to  do  so.  Write  to  him 
what  you  will,  Your  Highness,  and  he  shall  have 
the  message.  Be  brave,  and  all  will  go  well.  Write 
quickly !  This  is  supposed  to  be  the  pardon." 

She  wrote  feverishly,  a  thousand  thoughts  arising 
for  every  one  that  she  was  able  to  transfer  to  the 
paper.  When  she  had  finished  the  hope-inspired 
scrawl  she  arose  and,  with  a  gracious  smile,  handed 
to  the  waiting  captain  the  pardon  for  those  who  had 
secreted  the  fugitive. 

"  I  grant  forgiveness  to  them  gladly,"  she  said. 

"  I  thank  you,"  said  Lorry,  bowing  low. 

"  Mr.  Lorry,  I  regret  the  difficulty  in  which  you 
find  yourself.  It  was  on  my  account,  too,  I  am 
told.  Be  you  guilty  or  innocent,  you  are  my  friend, 
my  protector.  May  God  be  good  to  you."  She 
gave  him  her  hand  calmly,  steadily,  as  if  she  were 
bestowing  favor  upon  a  subject.  He  kissed  the  hand 
gravely. 

"  Forgive  me  for  trespassing  on  37our  good  nature 
to-night,  Your  Highness." 

"  The  five  thousand  gavvos  shall  be  yours  to-mor 
row,  Captain  Quinnox,"  she  said,  graciously.  "  You 
have  done  your  duty  well."  The  faithful  captain 
bowed  deep  and  low,  and  a  weight  was  lifted  from 
his  conscience. 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  333 

"Gentlemen,  the  door,"  he  said,  and  without  a 
word,  the  trio  left  the  room.  She  closed  the  door  and 
stood  like  a  statue  until  their  footsteps  died  away  in 
the  distance.  As  one  in  a  daze,  she  sat  at  the  desk 
till  the  dawn,  Grenfall  Lorry's  revolver  lying  before 
her. 

Through  the  halls,  down  the  stairs  and  into  the 
clammy  dungeon  strode  the  silent  trio.  But  before 
Lorry  stepped  inside  the  cell  Gabriel  asked  a  ques 
tion  that  had  been  troubling  him  for  many  min 
utes. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have — ah — misjudged  her " 

muttered  Gabriel,  now  convinced  that  he  had  com 
mitted  himself  irretrievably. 

4  You  will  find  she  has  not  misjudged  you,"  said 
the  prisoner,  grimly.  "  Can't  I  have  a  candle  in  here, 
captain?  " 

"  You  may  keep  this  lantern,"  said  Quinnox,  step 
ping  inside  the  narrow  cell.  As  he  placed  the  lan 
tern  on  the  floor,  he  whispered :  "  I  will  return  in 
an  hour.  Read  this!  "  Lorry's  hand  closed  over  the 
bit  of  perfumed  paper. 

The  Prince  was  now  inside  the  cell,  peering  about 
curiously,  even  timorously.  "  By  the  way,  Your 
Highness,  how  would  you  enjoy  living  in  a  hole  like 
this  all  your  life?  " 

"  Horrible !  "  said  Gabriel,  shuddering  like  a  leaf. 

"  Then  take  my  advice ;  don't  commit  any  mur 
ders.  Hire  some  one  else." 

The  two  men  eyed  each  other  steadily  for  a  mo 
ment  or  two.  Then  the  Prince  looked  out  of  the  cell, 


334  GRAUSTARK 

a  mad  desire  to  fly  from  some  dreadful,  unseen  horror 
coming  over  him. 

Quinnox  locked  the  door,  and,  striking  a  match, 
bade  His  Highness  precede  him  up  the  stone  steps. 

In  the  cell,  the  prisoner  read  and  reread  the  inco 
herent  message  from  Yetive : 

"  It  is  the  only  way.  Quinnox  will  assist  you 
to  escape  to-night.  Go,  I  implore  you;  as  you  love 
me,  go.  Your  life  is  more  than  all  to  me.  Gabriel's 
story  will  not  be  entertained  and  he  can  have  no 
proof.  He  will  be  torn  to  pieces,  Quinnox  says.  I 
do  not  know  how  I  can  live  until  I  am  certain  you 
are  safe.  This  will  be  the  longest  night  a  woman 
ever  spent.  If  I  could  only  be  sure  that  you  will  do 
as  I  ask,  as  I  beg  and  implore!  Do  not  think  of 
me,  but  save  yourself.  I  would  lose  everything  to 
save  you." 

He  smiled  sadly  as  he  burned  the  "  pardon."  The 
concluding  sentences  swept  away  the  last  thought  he 
might  have  had  of  leaving  her  to  bear  the  conse 
quences.  "  Do  not  think  of  me,  but  save  yourself. 
I  would  lose  everything  to  save  you."  He  leaned 
against  the  stone  wall  and  shook  his  head  slowly,  the 
smile  still  on  his  lips. 


XXV 

K  BECAUSE  I  LOVE  HIM  " 

The  next  morning  Edelweiss  was  astir  early. 
Great  throngs  of  people  flocked  the  streets  long  be 
fore  the  hour  set  for  the  signing  of  the  decree  that 
was  to  divide  the  north  from  the  south.  There  were 
men  and  women  from  the  mountains,  from  the  south 
ern  valleys,  from  the  plains  to  the  north  and  east. 
Sullen  were  the  mutterings,  threatening  the  faces, 
resentful  the  hearts  of  those  who  crowded  the  shops, 
the  public  places  and  the  streets.  Before  nine  o'clock 
the  great  concourse  of  people  began  to  push  toward 
the  castle.  Castle  Avenue  was  packed  with  the  mov 
ing  masses.  Thousands  upon  thousands  of  this  hum 
bled  race  gathered  outside  the  walls,  waiting  for  news 
from  the  castle  with  the  spark  of  hope  that  does  not 
die  until  the  very  end,  nursing  the  possibility  that 
something  might  intervene  at  the  last  moment  to 
save  the  country  from  disgrace  and  ruin. 

A  strong  guard  was  required  to  keep  the  mob 
Back  from  the  gates,  and  the  force  of  men  on  the 
wall  had  been  quadrupled.  Business  in  the  city  was 
suspended.  The  whole  nation,  it  seemed,  stood  be 
fore  the  walls,  awaiting,  with  bated  breath  and  dis 
mal  faces,  the  announcement  that  Yetive  had  deeded 

335 


336  GRAUSTARK 

to  Bolaroz  the  lands  and  lives  of  half  of  her  sub 
jects.  The  nothern  plainsmen  who  were  so  soon  to 
acknowledge  Axphain  sovereignty,  wept  and  wailed 
over  their  unhappy  lot.  Prothcr ;  and  sisters  from 
the  south  cursed  and  moaned  in  sympathy. 

Shortly  before  nine  o'clock,  Harrjr  Anguish  with 
his  guard  of  six,  rode  up  to  the  castle.  Captain 
Dangloss  was  beside  him  on  his  gray  charger. 

They  had  scarcely  passed  inside  the  gates  when 
a  cavalcade  of  mounted  men  came  riding  up  the  ave 
nue  from  the  Hotel  Regengetz.  Then  the  howling, 
the  hissing,  the  hooting  began.  Maledictions  were 
hurled  at  the  heads  of  Axphain  noblemen  as  they 
rode  between  the  maddened  lines  of  people.  They 
smiled  sardonically  in  reply  to  the  impotent  signs  of 
hatred,  but  they  were  glad  when  the  castle  gates 
closed  between  them  and  the  vast,  despairing  crowd, 
in  which  the  tempest  of  revolt  was  brewing  with  un 
mistakable  energy. 

Prince  Bolaroz,  the  Duke  of  Mizrox  and  the 
Ministers  were  already  in  the  castle,  and  had  been 
there  since  the  previous  afternoon.  In  the  royal 
palace  the  excitement  was  intense,  but  it  was  of  the 
subdued  kind  that  strains  the  nerves  to  the  point 
where  control  is  martyrdom. 

When  the  attendants  went  to  the  bedchamber  of 
the  Princess  at  seven  o'clock  as  was  their  wont, 
they  found,  to  their  surprise,  no  one  standing  guard. 

The  Princess  was  not  in  her  chamber,  nor  had  she 
been  there  during  the  night.  The  bed  was  undis 
turbed.  In  some  alarm,  the  two  women  ran  to  her 


"  BECAUSE  I  LOVE  HIM  "  337 

parlor,  then  to  the  boudoir.  Here  they  found  her 
asleep  on  the  divan,  attired  in  the  gown  she  had 
worn  since  the  evening  before,  now  crumpled  and 
creased,  the  proof  positive  of  a  restless,  miserable 
night. 

Her  first  act,  after  awakening  and  untangling  the 
meshes  in  her  throbbing,  uncomprehending  brain, 
was  to  send  for  Quinnox.  She  could  scarcely  wait 
for  his  appearance  and  the  assurance  that  Lorry  was 
safely  out  of  danger.  The  footman  who  had  been 
sent  to  fetch  the  captain  was  a  long  time  in  return 
ing.  She  was  dressed  in  her  breakfast  gown  long 
before  he  came  in  with  the  report  that  the  captain 
was  nowhere  to  be  found.  Her  heart  gave  a  great 
throb  of  joy.  She  alone  could  explain  his  absence. 
To  her  it  meant  but  one  thing:  Lorry's  flight  from 
the  castle.  Where  else  could  Quinnox  be  except  with 
the  fugitive,  perhaps  once  more  inside  St.  Valen 
tine's?  With  the  great  load  of  suspense  off  her 
mind,  she  cared  not  for  the  trials  that  still  con 
fronted  her  on  that  dreaded  morning.  She  had 
saved  him,  and  she  was  willing  to  pay  the  price. 

Preparations  began  at  once  for  the  eventful  trans 
action  in  the  throne  room.  The  splendor  of  two 
courts  was  to  shine  in  rivalry.  Ten  o'clock  Was  the 
hour  set  for  the  meeting  of  the  two  rulers,  the  victor 
and  the  victim.  Her  nobles  and  her  ladies,  her 
Ministers,  her  guards  and  her  lackeys  moved  about 
in  the  halls,  dreading  the  hour,  brushing  against  the 
hated  Axphain  guests.  In  one  of  the  small  waiting- 
rooms  sat  the  Count  and  Countess  Halfont,  the  lat- 


338  GRAUSTARK 

ter  in  tears.  The  young  Countess  Dagmar  stood  at 
a  window  with  Harry  Anguish.  The  latter  was 
flushed  and  nervous,  and  acted  like  a  man  who  ex 
pects  that  which  is  unexpected  by  others.  With  a 
strange  confidence  in  his  voice,  he  sought  to  cheer 
his  depressed  friends,  but  the  cheerfulness  was  not 
contagious.  The  sombreness  of  a  burial  hung  over 
the  castle. 

Half  an  hour  before  the  time  set  for  the  meeting 
in  the  throne  room,  Yetive  sent  for  her  uncle,  her 
aunt  and  Dagmar.  As  Anguish  and  the  latter  fol 
lowed,  the  girl  turned  her  sad,  puzzled  eyes  up  to 
the  face  of  the  tall  American,  and  asked : 

"  Are  you  rejoicing  over  our  misfortune?  You  do 
not  show  a  particle  of  regret.  Do  you  forget  that 
we  are  sacrificing  a  great  deal  to  save  the  life  of 
your  friend?  I  do  not  understand  how  you  can  be 
so  heartless." 

"  If  you  knew  what  I  know  you'd  jump  so  high 
you  could  crack  those  pretty  heels  of  yours  together 
ten  times  before  you  touched  the  floor  again,"  said 
he,  warmly. 

"  Please  tell  me,"  she  cried.  "  I  knew  there  was 
something." 

"  But  I'm  afraid  so  high  a  jump  would  upset  you 
for  the  day.  You  must  wait  awhile,  Dagmar."  It 
was  the  first  time  he  had  called  her  Dagmar,  and  she 
looked  startled. 

"  I  am  not  used  to  waiting,"  she  said  con 
fusedly. 

"  I  think  I  can  explain  satisfactorily  when  I  have 


"  BECAUSE  I  LOVE  HIM  "  339 

• 

more  time,"  he  said,  softly,  in  her  ear,  and,  although 
she  tried,  she  could  find  no  words  to  continue.  He 
left  her  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  and  did  not  see  her 
again  until  she  passed  him  in  the  throne  room.  Then 
she  was  pale,  and  brave,  and  trembling. 

Prince  Bolaroz  and  his  nobles  stood  to  the  right 
of  the  throne,  the  Graustark  men  and  women  of  de 
gree  to  the  left,  while  near  the  door,  on  both  sides, 
were  to  be  seen  the  leading  military  men  of  both 
principalities.  Near  the  Duke  of  Mizrox  was  sta 
tioned  the  figure  of  Gabriel,  Prince  of  Dawsbergen. 
He  had  come,  with  half  a  dozen  followers,  among  a 
crowd  of  unsuspecting  Axphainians,  and  had  taken 
his  position  near  the  throne.  Anguish  entered  with 
Baron  Dangloss,  and  they  stood  together  near  the 
doorway,  the  latter  whiter  than  he  had  ever  been  in 
his  life. 

Then  came  the  hush  of  expectancy.  The  doors 
swung  open,  the  curtains  parted  and  the  Princess 
entered. 

She  was  supported  by  the  arm  of  her  tall  uncle, 
Caspar  of  Halfont.  Pages  carried  the  train  of  her 
dress,  a  jeweled  gown  of  black.  As  she  advanced 
to  the  throne,  calm  and  stately,  those  assembled  bent 
knee  to  the  fairest  woman  the  eye  ever  had  looked 
upon. 

The  calm,  proud  exterior  hid  the  most  unhappy 
of  hearts.  The  resolute  courage  with  which  her 
spirit  had  been  braced  for  the  occasion  was  remark 
able  in  more  ways  than  one.  Among  other  inspira 
tions  behind  the  valiant  show  was  the  bravery  of  a 


340  GRAUSTARK 

guilty  conscience.  He  composure  sustained  a  shock 
when  she  passed  Allode  at  the  door.  That  faithful, 
heart-broken  servitor  looked  at  her  face  with  plead 
ing,  horror-struck  eyes,  as  much  as  to  say :  "  Good 
God,  are  you  going  to  destroy  Graustark  for  the 
sake  of  that  murderer?  Have  pity  on  us — have 
pity!" 

Before  taking  her  seat  on  the  throne,  she  swept 
the  thrilled  assemblage  with  her  wide  blue  eyes. 
There  were  shadows  beneath  them  and  there  were 
wells  of  tears  behind  them.  As  she  looked  upon  the 
little  knot  of  white-faced  northern  barons,  her  knees 
trembled  and  her  heart  gave  a  great  throb  of  pity. 
Still  the  face  was  resolute.  Then  she  saw  Anguish 
and  the  suffering  Dangloss ;  then  the  accusing,  merci 
less  eyes  of  Gabriel.  At  sight  of  him  she  started 
violently  and  an  icy  fear  crept  into  her  soul.  In 
stinctively,  she  searched  the  gorgeous  company  for 
the  captain  of  the  guard.  Her  staunchest  ally  was 
not  there.  Was  she  to  hear  the  condemning  words 
alone?  Would  the  people  do  as  Quinnox  had  proph 
esied,  or  would  they  believe  Gabriel  and  curse 
her  ? 

She  sank  into  the  great  chair  and  sat  with  staring, 
helpless  eyes,  deserted  and  feeble. 

At  last,  the  whirling  brain  ended  its  flight  and 
settled  down  to  the  issue  first  at  hand — the  trans 
action  with  Bolaroz.  Summoning  all  her  self-con 
trol,  she  said : 

"  You  are  come,  most  noble  Bolaroz,  to  draw  from 
us  the  price  of  our  defeat.  We  are  loyal  to  our 


"  BECAUSE  I  LOVE  HIM  " 

compact,  as  you  are  to  yours,  sire.  Yet,  in  the 
presence  of  my  people  and  in  the  name  of  mercy  and 
justice,  I  ask  you  to  grant  us  respite.  You  are  rich 
and  powerful,  we  despoiled  and  struggling  beneath 
a  weight  we  can  lift  and  displace  if  given  u  few  short 
years  in  which  to  grow  and  gather  strength.  At  this 
last  hour  in  the  fifteen  years  of  our  indebtedness,  I 
sue  in  supplication  for  the  leniency  that  you  can  so 
well  accord.  It  is  on  the  advice  of  my  counsellors 
that  I  put  away  personal  pride  and  national  dignity 
to  make  this  request,  trusting  to  your  goodness  of 
heart.  If  you  will  not  hearken  to  our  petition  for  a 
renewal  of  negotiations,  there  is  but  one  course  open 
to  Graustark.  We  can  and  will  pay  our  debt  of 
honor." 

Bolaroz  stood  before  her,  dark  and  uncompromis 
ing.  She  saw  the  futility  of  her  plea. 

"  I  have  not  forgotten,  most  noble  petitioner,  that 
you  are  ruler  here,  not  I.  Therefore  I  am  in  no  way 
responsible  for  the  conditions  which  confront  you, 
except  that  I  am  an  honest  creditor,  come  for  his 
honest  dues.  This  is  the  twentieth  of  November. 
You  have  had  fifteen  years  to  accumulate  enough  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  this  day.  Should  I  suffer 
for  your  faults?  There  is  in  the  treaty  a  provision 
which  applies  to  an  emergency  of  this  kind.  Your 
inability  to  liquidate  in  gold  does  not  prevent  the 
payment  of  this  honest  debt  in  land,  as  provided  for 
in  the  sixth  clause  of  the  agreement.  '  All  that  part 
of  Graustark  north  of  a  line  drawn  directly  from 
east  to  west  between  the  provinces  of  Ganlook  and 


34-2  GRAUSTARK 

Doswan,  a  tract  comprising  Doswan,  Shellotz,  Vara- 
gan,  Oeswald,  Sesmai  and  Gattabatton.'  You  have 
two  alternatives,  Your  Highness.  Produce  the  gold 
or  sign  the  decree  ceding  to  Axphain  the  lands  stipu 
lated  in  the  treaty.  I  can  grant  no  respite." 

"  You  knew  when  that  treaty  was  framed  that  we 
could  raise  no  such  funds  in  fifteen  years,"  said  Hal- 
font,  forgetting  himself  in  his  indignation.  Gaspon 
and  other  men  present  approved  his  hasty  declara 
tion. 

"  Am  I  dealing  with  the  Princess  of  Graustark  or 
with  you,  sir?  "  asked  Bolaroz,  roughly. 

"  You  are  dealing  with  the  people  of  Graustark, 
and  among  the  poorest,  I.  I  will  sign  the  decree. 
There  is  nothing  to  be  gained  by  appealing  to  you. 
The  papers,  Gaspon,  quick !  I  would  have  this  trans 
action  finished  speedily,"  cried  the  Princess,  her 
cheeks  flushing  and  her  eyes  glowing  from  the  flames 
of  a  burning  conscience.  The  groan  that  went  up 
from  the  northern  nobles  cut  her  like  the  slash  of  a 
knife. 

"  There  was  one  other  condition,"  said  Bolaroz, 
hastily,  unable  to  gloat  as  he  had  expected.  "The  re 
capture  of  the  assassin  who  slew  my  son  would  have 
meant  much  to  Graustark.  It  is  unfortunate  that 
your  police  department  is  so  inefficient."  Dangloss 
writhed  beneath  this  thrust.  Yetive's  eyes  went  to 
him,  for  an  instant,  sorrowfully.  Then  they  dropped 
to  the  fatal  document  which  Gaspon  had  placed  on 
the  table  before  her.  The  lines  ran  together  and 
were  the  color  of  blood.  Unconsciously  she  took  the 


"  BECAUSE  I  LOVE  HIM  "  343 

pen  in  her  nerveless  fingers.  A  deep  sob  came  from 
the  breast  of  her  gray  old  uncle,  and  Gaspon's  hand 
shook  like  a  leaf  as  he  placed  the  seal  of  Graustark 
on  the  table,  ready  for  use. 

"  The  assassin's  life  could  have  saved  you," 
went  on  Bolaroz,  a  vengeful  glare  coming  to  his 
eyes. 

She  looked  up  and  her  lips  moved  as  if  she  would 
have  spoken.  No  words  came,  no  breath,  it  seemed 
to  her.  Casting  a  piteous,  hunted  glance  over  the 
faces  before  her,  she  bent  forward  and  blindly 
touched  the  pen  to  the  paper.  The  silence  was  that 
of  death.  Before  she  could  make  the  first  stroke,  a 
harsh  voice,  in  which  there  was  combined  triumph 
and  amazement,  broke  the  stillness  like  the  clanging 
of  a  bell. 

"  Have  you  no  honor?  " 

The  pen  dropped  from  her  fingers  as  the  expected 
condemnation  came.  Every  eye  in  the  house  was 
turned  toward  the  white,  twitching  face  of  Gabriel 
of  Dawsbergen.  He  stood  a  little  apart  from  his 
friends,  his  finger  pointed  throneward.  The  Prin 
cess  stared  at  the  nemesis-like  figure  for  an  instant, 
as  if  petrified.  Then  the  pent-up  fear  crowded 
everything  out  of  its  path.  In  sheer  desperation,  her 
eyes  flashing  with  the  intensity  of  defiant  guilt,  bitter 
rage  welling  up  against  her  persecutor,  she  half  arose 
and  cried: 

"  Who  uttered  those  words?     Speak !  " 

"  I,  Gabriel  of  Dawsbergen !  Where  is  the  pris 
oner,  madam  ?  "  rang  out  the  voice. 


344  GRAUSTARK 

"  The  man  is  mad !  "  cried  she,  sinking  back  with  a 
shudder. 

"Mad,  eh?  Because  I  do  as  I  did  promise?  Be 
hold  the  queen  of  perfidy !  Madam,  I  will  be  heard. 
Lorry  is  in  this  castle !  " 

"  He  is  mad !  "  gasped  Bolaroz,  the  first  of  the 
stunned  spectators  to  find  his  tongue. 

There  was  a  commotion  near  the  door.  Voices 
were  heard  outside. 

"  You  have  been  duped ! "  insisted  Gabriel,  taking 
several  steps  toward  the  throne.  "  Your  idol  is  a 
traitress,  a  deceiver !  I  say  he  is  here !  She  has  seen 
him.  Let  her  sign  that  decree  if  she  dares !  I  com 
mand  you,  Yetive  of  Graustark,  to  produce  this 
criminal !  " 

The  impulse  to  crush  the  defiler  was  checked  by 
the  sudden  appearance  of  two  men  inside  the  cur 
tains. 

"  He  is  here !  "  cried  a  strong  voice,  and  Lorry, 
breathless  and  haggard,  pushed  through  the  aston 
ished  crowd,  followed  by  Captain  Quinnox,  upon 
whose  ghastly  face  there  were  bloodstains. 

A  shout  went  up  from  those  assembled,  a  shout  of 
joy.  The  faces  of  Dangloss  and  Allode  were  pic 
tures  of  astonishment  and — it  must  be  said — relief. 
Harry  Anguish  staggered  but  recovered  himself  in 
stantly,  and  turned  his  eyes  toward  Gabriel.  That 
worthy's  legs  trembled  and  his  jaw  dropped. 

"  I  have  the  prisoner,  Your  Highness,"  said  Quin 
nox,  in  hoarse,  discordant  tones.  He  stood  before 
the  throne  with  his  captive,  but  dared  not  look  his 


"  BECAUSE  I  LOVE  HIM  "  345 

mistress  in  the  face.  As  they  stood  there  the  story 
of  the  night  just  passed  was  told  by  the  condition  of 
the  two  men.  There  had  been  a  struggle  for  suprem 
acy  in  the  dungeon  and  the  prisoner  had  won.  The 
one  had  tried  to  hold  the  other  to  the  dungeon's 
safety,  after  his  refusal  to  leave  the  castle,  and  the 
other  had  fought  his  way  to  the  halls  above.  It  was 
then  that  Quinnox  had  wit  enough  to  change  front 
and  drag  his  prisoner  to  the  place  which,  most  of  all, 
he  had  wished  to  avoid. 

"  The  prisoner !  "  shouted  the  northern  nobles,  and 
in  an  instant  the  solemn  throne  room  was  wild  with 
excitement. 

"  Do  not  sign  that  decree !  "  cried  some  one  from  a 
far  corner. 

"  Here  is  your  man,  Prince  Bolaroz ! "  cried  a 
baron. 

"  Quinnox  has  saved  us !  "  shouted  another. 

The  Princess,  white  as  death  and  as  motionless, 
sat  bolt  upright  in  her  royal  seat. 

"  Oh !  "  she  moaned,  piteously,  and,  clenching  her 
hands,  she  carried  them  to  her  eyes  as  if  to  shut  out 
the  sight.  The  Countess  Hal  font  and  Dagmar  ran 
to  her  side,  the  latter  frantic  with  alarm.  She  knew 
more  than  the  others. 

"  Are  you  the  fugitive?  "  cried  Bolaroz. 

"  I  am  Grenfall  Lorry.    Are  you  Bolaroz?  " 

"  The  father  of  the  man  you  murdered.  Ah,  this 
is  rapture ! " 

"  I  have  only  to  say  to  Your  Highness,  I  did  not 
kill  your  son.  I  swear  it,  so  help  me  God !  " 


346  GRAUSTARK 

"  Your  Highness,"  cried  Bolaroz,  stepping  to  the 
throne,  "  destroy  that  decree.  This  brave  soldier  has 
saved  Graustark.  In  an  hour  your  ministers  and 
mine  will  have  drawn  up  a  ten  years'  extension  of 
time,  in  proper  form,  to  which  my  signature  shall  be 
gladly  attached.  I  have  not  forgotten  my  promise." 

Yetive  straightened  suddenly,  seized  the  pen  and 
fiercely  began  to  sign  the  decree,  in  spite  of  all  and 
before  those  about  her  fairly  realized  her  intention. 
Lorry  understood,  and  was  the  first  to  snatch  the 
document  from  her  hands.  A  half-written  Yetive, 
a  blot  and  a  long,  spluttering  scratch  of  the  pen  told 
how  near  she  had  come  to  signing  away  the  lands  of 
Graustark,  forgetful  of  the  fact  that  it  could  be  of 
no  benefit  to  the  prisoner  she  loved. 

"  Yetive !  "  gasped  her  uncle,  in  horror. 

"  She  would  have  signed,"  cried  Gaspon,  in  won 
der  and  alarm. 

"  Yes,  I  would  have  signed  !  "  she  exclaimed,  start 
ing  to  her  feet,  strong  and  defiant.  "  I  could  not  have 
saved  his  life,  perhaps,  but  I  might  have  saved  him 
from  the  cruel  injustice  that  that  man's  vengeance 
would  have  invented.  He  is  innocent,  and  I  would 
give  my  kingdom  to  stay  the  wrong  that  will  be 
done." 

"  What !  You  defend  the  dog !  "  cried  Bolaroz. 
"  Seize  him,  men !  I  will  see  that  justice  is  done.  It 
is  no  girl  He  has  to  deal  with  now." 

"  Stop !  "  cried  the  Princess,  the  command  checking 
the  men.  Quinnox  leaped  in  front  of  his  charge. 
"  He  is  my  prisoner,  and  he  shall  have  justice.  Keep 


"  BECAUSE  I  LOVE  HIM  "  34*7 

back  your  soldiery,  Prince  Bolaroz.  It  is  a  girl  you 
have  to  deal  with.  I  will  say  to  you  all,  my  people 
and  yours,  that  I  believe  him  to  be  innocent  and  that 
I  sincerely  regret  his  capture,  fortunate  as  it  may  be 
for  us.  He  shall  have  a  fair  and  a  just  trial,  and  I 
shall  do  all  in  my  power,  Prince  Bolaroz,  to  secure 
his  acquittal." 

"Why  do  you  take  this  stand,  Yetive?  Why 
have  you  tried  to  shield  him? "  cried  the  heart 
broken  Halfont. 

She  drew  herself  to  her  full  height,  and,  sweeping 
the  threatening  crowd  with  a  challenge  in  her  eyes 
cried,  the  tones  ringing  strong  and  clear  above  the 
growing  tumult : 

"  Because  I  love  him !  " 

As  if  by  magic  the  room  became  suddenly  still. 

"  Behold  an  honest  man.  I  would  have  saved  him 
at  the  cost  of  my  honor.  Scorn  me  if  you  will,  but 
listen  to  this.  The  man  who  stands  here  accused 
came  voluntarily  to  this  castle,  surrendering  himself 
to  Captain  Quinnox,  that  he  might,  though  innocent, 
stand  between  us  and  disaster.  He  was  safe  from 
our  pursuit,  yet  returned,  perhaps  to  his  death.  For 
me,  for  you  and  for  Graustark  he  has  done  this.  Is 
there  a  man  among  you  who  would  have  done  as 
much  for  his  own  country?  Yet  he  does  this  for  a 
country  to  which  he  is  a  stranger.  I  must  commit 
him  to  prison  once  more.  But,"  she  cried  in  sud 
den  fierceness,  "  I  promise  him  now,  before  the  trial, 
a  royal  pardon.  Do  I  make  my  meaning  clear  to 
you,  Prince  Bolaroz?  " 


348  GRAUSTARK 

The  white  lips  of  the  old  Prince  could  frame  no 
reply  to  this  daring  speech. 

"  Be  careful  what  you  say,  Your  Highness,"  cried 
the  prisoner,  hastily.  "  I  must  refuse  to  accept  a 
pardon  at  the  cost  of  your  honor.  It  is  because  I 
love  you  better  than  my  life  that  I  stand  here.  I 
cannot  allow  you  and  your  people  to  suffer  when 
it  is  in  my  power  to  prevent  it.  All  that  I  can  ask  is 
fairness  and  justice.  I  am  not  guilty,  and  God  will 
protect  me.  Prince  Bolaroz,  I  call  upon  you  to  keep 
your  promise.  I  am  not  the  slayer  of  your  son,  but 
I  am  the  man  you  would  send  to  the  block,  guilty  or 
innocent." 

As  he  spoke,  the  Princess  dropped  back  in  the 
chair,  her  rash  courage  gone.  A  stir  near  the  door 
way  followed  his  concluding  sentence,  and  the  other 
American  stepped  forward,  his  face  showing  his  ex 
citement. 

"  Your  Highness,"  he  said,  "  I  should  have  spoken 
sooner.  My  lips  were  parted  and  ready  to  cry  out 
when  Prince  Gabriel  interposed  and  prevented  the 
signing  of  the  decree.  Grenfall  Lorry  did  not  kill 
the  young  Prince.  I  can  produce  the  guilty  man !  " 


THE   GUESSING   OF    ANGUISH 

The  startling  assertion  created  a  fresh  sensation. 
Sensations  had  come  so  thick  and  so  fast,  however, 
that  they  seemed  component  parts  of  one  grand  be 
wildering  climax.  The  new  actor  in  the  drama  held 
the  center  of  the  stage  undisputed. 

"  Harry  !  "  cried  Lorry. 

"Prince  Gabriel,  why  do  you  shake  like  a  leaf? 
It  is  because  you  know  what  I  am  going  to  say?  " 
exclaimed  Anguish,  pointing  his  finger  accusingly 
at  the  astonished  Prince  of  Dawsbergen. 

Gabriel's  lips  parted,  but  nothing  more  than  a 
gasp  escaped  them.  Involuntarily  his  eyes  sought 
the  door,  then  the  windows,  the  peculiar,  uncontroll 
able  look  of  the  hunted  coming  into  them.  Bolaroz 
allowed  his  gaze  to  leap  instantly  to  that  pallid 
face  and  every  eye  in  the  room  followed.  Yetive 
was  standing  again,  her  face  glowing. 

"  An  accomplice  has  confessed  all.  I  have  the 
word  of  the  man  who  saw  the  crime  committed.  I 
charge  Prince  Gabriel  with  the  murder  of  His  High 
ness,  Prince  Lorenz." 

With  a  groan,  Gabriel  threw  his  hands  to  his 
heart  and  tottered  forward,  glaring  at  the  merciless 
face  of  the  accuser. 

349 


350  GRAUSTARK 

"  Confessed !  Betrayed !  "  he  faltered.  Then  he 
whirled  like  a  maniac  upon  his  little  coterie  of  fol 
lowers.  "  Vile  traitor !  "  he  shrieked,  "  I  will  drink 
your  heart's  blood !  " 

With  a  howl  he  leaped  toward  one  of  the  men, 
a  dark-faced  nobleman  named  Berrowag.  The 
latter  evaded  him  and  rushed  toward  the  door,  cry 
ing: 

"  It  is  a  lie !  a  lie !  He  has  tricked  you !  I  did  not 
confess !  " 

The  Prince  was  seized  by  his  friends,  struggling 
and  cursing.  A  peculiar  smile  lit  up  the  face  of 
Harry  Anguish. 

"  I  repeat,  he  is  the  assassin !  " 

Gabriel  broke  from  the  detaining  hands  and  draw 
ing  a  revolver,  rushed  for  the  door. 

"  Out  of  the  way !     I  will  not  be  taken  alive !  " 

Allode  met  him  at  the  curtains  and  grasped  him 
in  his  powerful  arms,  Baron  Dangloss  and  others 
tearing  the  weapon  from  his  hand.  The  utmost  con 
fusion  reigned — women  screaming,  men  shouting — 
and  above  all  could  be  heard  the  howls  of  the  accused 
Prince. 

"  Let  me  go  !  Curse  you  !  Curse  you  !  I  will  not 
surrender!  Let  me  kill  that  traitor!  Let  me  at 
him !  "  Berrowag  had  been  seized  by  willing  hands, 
and  the  two  men  glared  at  each  other,  one  crazy 
with  rage,  the  other  shrinking  with  fear. 

Dangloss  and  Allode  half  carried,  half  dragged 
the  Prince  forward.  As  he  nearcd  Bolaroz  and  the 
Princess  he  collapsed  and  became  a  trembling,  moan- 


THE  GUESSING  OF  ANGUISH        351 

ing  suppliant  for  mercy.  Anguish's  accusation  had 
struck  home. 

"  Prince  Bolaroz,  I  trust  you  will  not  object 
if  the  Princess  Yetive  substitutes  the  true  assassin 
for  the  man  named  in  your  promise  to  Graustark," 
said  Anguish,  dramatically.  Bolaroz,  as  if  coming 
from  a  dream,  turned  and  knelt  before  the 
throne. 

"  Most  adorable  Yetive,"  he  said,  "  I  sue  for  par 
don.  I  bow  low  and  lay  my  open  heart  before  the 
truest  woman  in  the  world."  He  kissed  the  black 
lace  hem  of  her  gown  and  arose.  "  I  am  your  friend 
and  ally;  Axphain  and  Graustark  will  live  no  more 
with  hatred  in  their  hearts.  From  you  I  have  learned 
a  lesson  in  justice  and  constancy." 

Prince  Gabriel  was  raving  like  a  madman  as  the 
officers  hurried  him  and  Berrowag  from  the  room. 
A  shout  went  up  from  those  assembled.  Its  echo, 
reaching  the  halls,  then  the  gardens,  was  finally  taken 
up  by  the  waiting  masses  beyond  the  gates.  The 
news  flew  like  wild-fire.  Rejoicing,  such  as  had  never 
been  known,  shook  Edelweiss  until  the  monks  on  the 
mountain  looked  down  in  wonder. 

After  the  dazed  and  happy  throng  about  the  throne 
had  heaped  its  expressions  of  love  and  devotion  upon 
the  radiant  Princess  a  single  figure  knelt  in  subjec 
tion,  just  as  she  was  preparing  to  depart.  It  was  the 
Duke  of  Mizrox. 

"  Your  Royal  Highness,  Mizrox  is  ready  to  pay 
his  forfeit.  My  life  is  yours,"  he  said,  calmly.  She 
did  not  comprehend  until  her  uncle  reminded  her 


352  GRAUSTARK 

of  the  oath  Mizrox  had  taken  the  morning  after  the 
murder. 

"  He  swore,  on  his  life,  that  you  killed  Lorenz," 
she  said,  turning  to  Lorry. 

"  I  was  wrong,  but  I  am  willing  to  pay  the  pen 
alty.  My  love  for  Lorenz  was  greater  than  my  dis 
cretion.  That  is  my  only  excuse,  but  it  is  one  you 
should  not  accept,"  said  Mizrox,  as  coolly  as  if  an 
nouncing  the  time  of  day.  Lorry  looked  first  at  him 
and  then  at  the  Princess,  bewildered  and  uncertain. 

"  I  have  no  ill  will  against  you,  my  Lord  Duke. 
Release  him  from  his  bond,  Your  Highness." 

"  Gladly,  since  you  refuse  to  hold  him  to  his  oath," 
she  said. 

"  I  am  under  an  eternal  obligation  to  you,  sir,  for 
your  leniency,  and  I  shall  ever  revere  the  Princess 
who  pardons  so  graciously  the  gravest  error." 

Yetive  begged  Bolaroz  to  continue  to  make  the 
Court  his  home  while  in  Graustark,  and  the  old 
Prince  responded  with  the  declaration  that  he  would 
remain  long  enough  to  sign  and  approve  the  new 
covenant,  at  least.  Before  stepping  from  the  throne, 
Yetive  called  in  low  tones  to  Lorry,  a  pretty  flush 
mantling  her  cheek : 

"  Will  you  come  to  me  in  half  an  hour?  " 

"  For  my  reward?  "  he  asked,  eagerly. 

"  Ach !  "  she  cried,  softly,  reprovingly.  Count 
Halfont's  face  took  on  a  troubled  expression  as  he 
caught  the  swift  communication  in  their  eyes.  After 
all,  she  was  a  Princess. 

She  passed  from  the  room  beside  Hal  font,  proud 


THE  GUESSING  OF  ANGUISH        353 

and  happy  in  the  victory  over  despair,  glorying  in 
the  exposure  of  her  heart  to  the  world,  her  blood 
tingling  and  dancing  with  the  joys  of  anticipation. 
Lorry  and  Anguish,  the  wonder  and  admiration  of 
all,  were  given  a  short  but  convincing  levee  in  the 
hallway.  Lords  and  ladies  praised  and  lauded  them, 
overwhelming  them  with  the  homage  that  comes  to 
the  brave.  But  Gaspon  uttered  one  wish  that  struck 
Lorry's  warm,  leaping  heart  like  a  piece  of  ice. 

"  Would  to  God  that  you  were  a  Prince  of  the 
realm,"  said  the  minister  of  finance,  a  look  of  regret 
and  longing  in  his  eyes.  That  wish  of  Gaspon's 
sent  Lorry  away  with  the  sharp  steel  of  desolation, 
torturing  intensely  as  it  drove  deeper  and  deeper 
the  reawakened  pangs  of  uncertainty.  There  still 
remained  the  fatal  distance  between  him  and  the  ob 
ject  of  his  heart's  desire. 

He  accompanied  Captain  Quinnox  to  his  quarters, 
where  he  made  himself  presentable  before  starting 
for  the  enchanted  apartment  in  the  far  end  of  the 
castle.  Eager,  burning  passion  throbbed  side  by 
side  with  the  cold  pulsings  of  fear,  a  trembling  race 
between  two  unconquerable  emotions.  Passion  longed 
for  the  voice,  the  eyes,  the  caresses ;  fear  cried  aloud 
in  every  troubled  throb :  "  You  will  see  her  and  kiss 
her  and  then  you  will  be  banished." 

The  two  emotions  thus  thrown  together,  clashing 
fiercely  for  supremacy,  at  last  wove  themselves  into 
a  single,  solid,  uncompromising  whole.  Out  of  the 
two  grew  an  aggressive  determination  not  to  be 
thwarted.  Love  and  fear  combined  to  give  him 


354  GRAUSTARK 

strength;  from  his  eyes  fled  the  hopeless  look,  from 
his  brain  the  doubt,  from  his  blood  the  chill. 

"  Quinnox,  give  me  your  hand — don't  mind  the 
blood !  You  have  been  my  friend,  and  you  have  served 
her  almost  to  the  death.  I  injured  and  would  have 
killed  you  in  that  cell,  but  it  was  not  in  anger.  Will 
you  be  my  friend  in  all  that  is  to  follow  ?  " 

"  She  has  said  that  she  lovos  you,"  said  the  cap 
tain,  returning  the  hand  clasp.  "  I  am  at  your 
service  as  well  as  hers." 

A  few  moments  later  Lorry  was  in  her  presence. 
What  was  said  or  done  during  the  half  hour  that 
passed  between  his  entrance  and  the  moment  that 
brought  them  side  by  side  from  the  room  need  not 
be  told.  That  the  interview  had  had  its  serious  side 
was  plain.  The  troubled,  anxious  eyes  of  the  girl 
and  the  rebellious,  dogged  air  of  the  man  told  of  a 
conflict  now  only  in  abeyance. 

"  I  will  never  give  you  up,"  he  said,  as  they  came 
from  the  door.  A  wistful  gleam  flickered  in  her 
eyes,  but  she  did  not  respond  in  words. 

Near  the  head  -f  the  stairway  an  animated  group 
of  p6"sons  lingered.  Harry  Anguish  was  in  the 
cent.?!'  and  the  Countess  Dagmar  was  directly  in 
fiont  of  him,  looking  up  with  sparkling  eyes  and 
p.ir^'d  lipo  The  Count  and  Countess  HalfoVc,  Gas- 
pon,  the  B^ron  Dr»,ngl  <ss.  the  Duke  of  Mizrcx,  wfth 
other  ladies  and  gentlemen,  v,rere  being  entertained 
by  the  gay-spirited  stranger. 

"  Here  hj  comes,"  cried  the  latter,  as  he  caught 
sight  of  the  approaching  coupl~. 


THE  GUESSING  OF  ANGUISH        355 

"  I  am  delighted  to  see  you,  Harry.  You  were 
the  friend  in  need,  old  man,"  said  Lorry,  wringing 
the  other's  hand.  Yetive  gave  him  her  hand,  her 
blue  eyes  overflowing. 

"  Mr.  Anguish  had  just  begun  to  tell  us  how  he — 

how  he "  began  Dagmar,  but  paused  helplessly, 

looking  to  him  for  relief. 

"  Go  ahead,  Countess ;  it  isn't  very  elegant,  but  it's 
the  way  I  said  it.  How  I  '  got  next '  to  Gabriel  is 
what  she  wants  to  say.  Perhaps  Your  Highness 
would  like  to  know  all  about  the  affair  that  ended  so 
tragically.  It's  very  quickly  told,"  said  Anguish. 

"  I  am  deeply  interested,"  said  the  Princess,  eag 
erly. 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,  it  was  all  a  bluff,"  said 
he,  coolly. 

"  A  what !  "  demanded  Dagmar. 

"  Bluff,"  responded  Harry,  briefly ;  "  American 
patois,  dear  Countess." 

"  In  what  respect,"  asked  Lorry,  beginning  to  un 
derstand. 

"  In  all  respects.  I  didn't  have  the  slightest  sign 
of  proof  against  the  festive  Prince." 

"  And  you — you  did  all  that  *  on  a  bluff  '?  "  gasped 
the  other. 

"  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  have  no 
evidence  against  Gabriel? "  asked  Halfont,  dum- 
founded. 

"  Not  a  particle." 

"  But  you  said  his  confederate  had  confessed," 
protested  Dangloss. 


356  GRAUSTARK 

"  I  didn't  know  that  he  had  a  confederate,  and  I 
wasn't  sure  that  he  was  guilty  of  the  crime,"  boasted 
Anguish,  complacently  enjoying  the  stupefaction. 

"  Then  why  did  you  say  so?  "  demanded  Dangloss, 
excited  beyond  measure. 

"  Oh,  I  just  guessed  at  it !  " 

"  God  save  us !  "  gasped  Baron  Dangloss,  Chief  of 
Police. 

"  Guessed  at  it?  "  cried  Mizrox. 

"  That's  it.  It  was  a  bold  stroke,  but  it  won. 
Now,  I'll  tell  you  this  much.  I  was  morally  certain 
that  Gabriel  killed  the  Prince.  There  was  no  way 
on  earth  to  prove  it,  however,  and  I'll  admit  it  was 
intuition  or  something  of  that  sort  which  convinced 
me.  He  had  tried  to  abduct  the  Princess,  and  he 
was  madly  jealous  of  Lorenz.  Although  he  knew 
there  was  to  be  a  duel,  he  was  not  certain  that  Lo 
renz  would  lose,  so  he  adapted  a  clever  plan  to  get 
rid  of  two  rivals  by  killing  one  and  casting  suspicion 
on  the  other.  These  deductions  I  made  soon  after 
the  murder,  but,  of  course,  could  secure  no  proof. 
Early  this  morning,  at  the  hotel,  I  made  up  my  mind 
to  denounce  him  suddenly  if  I  had  the  chance,  risk 
ing  failure  but  hoping  for  such  an  exhibition  as  that 
which  you  saw.  It  was  clear  to  me  that  he  had  an 
accomplice  to  stand  guard  while  he  did  the  stabbing, 
but  I  did  not  dream  it  was  Berrowag.  Lorry's  sen 
sational  appearance,  when  I  believed  him  to  be  far 
away  from  here,  disturbed  me  greatly,  but  it  made 
it  all  the  more  necessary  that  I  should  take  the  risk 
with  Gabriel.  As  I  watched  him  I  became  abso- 


THE  GUESSING  OF  ANGUISH        357 

lutely  convinced  of  his  guilt.  The  only  way  to  ac 
cuse  him  was  to  do  it  boldly  and  thoroughly,  so  I 
rang  in  the  accomplice  and  the  witness  features. 
You  all  know  how  the  '  bluff  '  worked." 

"  And  you  had  no  more  proof  than  this  ?  "  asked 
Dangloss,  weakly. 

"  That's  all,"  laughed  the  delighted  strategist. 

Dangloss  stared  at  him  for  a  moment,  then  threw 
up  his  hands  and  walked  away,  shaking  his  head, 
whether  in  stupefied  admiration  or  utter  disbelief,  no 
one  knew.  The  others  covered  Anguish  with  com 
pliments,  and  he  was  more  than  ever  the  hero  of  the 
day.  Such  confidence  paralyzed  the  people.  The 
only  one  who  was  not  overcome  with  astonishment 
was  his  countryman. 

"  You  did  it  well,"  he  said  in  an  undertone  to 
Anguish ;  "  devilish  well." 

"  You  might  at  least  say  I  did  it  to  the  queen's 
taste,"  growled  Anguish,  meaningly. 

"  Well,  then,  you  did,"  laughed  Lorry. 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN 

Three  persons  in  the  royal  castle  of  Graustark, 
worn  by  the  dread  and  anxiety  of  weeks,  fatigued 
by  the  sleepless  nights  just  past,  slumbered  through 
the  long  afternoon  with  the  motionless,  deathlike 
sleep  of  the  utterly  fagged.  Yetive,  in  her  dark 
ened  bedchamber,  dreamed,  with  smiling  lips,  of  a 
tall  soldier  and  a  throne  on  which  cobwebs  multi 
plied.  Grenfall  Lorry  saw  in  his  dreams  a  slim  sol 
dier  with  troubled  face  and  averted,  timid  eyes, 
standing  guard  over  him  with  a  brave,  stiff  back  and 
chin  painfully  uplifted.  Captain  Quinnox  dreamed 
not,  for  his  mind  was  tranquil  in  the  assurance  that 
he  had  been  forgiven  by  the  Princess. 

While  Lorry  slept  in  the  room  set  apart  for  him, 
Anguish  roamed  the  park  with  a  happy-faced,  slen 
der  young  lady,  into  whose  ears  he  poured  the  his 
tory  of  a  certain  affection,  from  the  tender  begin 
ning  to  the  distracting  end.  And  she  smiled  and 
trembled  with  delight,  closing  not  her  ears  against 
the  sound  of  his  voice  nor  her  heart  to  the  love  that 
craved  admission.  They  were  not  dreaming. 

After  dinner  that  evening  Lorry  led  the  Princess 
358 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  359 

out  into  the  moonlit  night.     The  November  breezes 
were  soft  and  balmy  and  the  shadows  deep. 

"  Let  us  leave  the  park  to  Dagmar  and  her  hero,  to 
the  soldiers  and  the  musicians,"  said  Yetive.  "  There 
is  a  broad  portico  here,  with  the  tenderest  of  mem 
ories.  Do  you  remember  a  night  like  this,  a  month 
or  more  ago?  the  moon,  the  sentinel  and  some  sor 
rows?  I  would  again  stand  where  we  stood  on  that 
night  and  again  look  up  to  the  moon  and  the  solemn 
sentinel,  but  not  as  we  saw  them  then,  with  heart 
ache  and  evasion." 

"  The  balcony,  then,  without  the  old  restrictions," 
Lorry  agreed.  "  I  want  to  see  that  dark  old  monas 
tery  again,  and  to  tell  you  how  I  looked  from  its 
lofty  windows  through  the  chill  of  wind  and  the 
chill  of  life  into  the  fairest  Eden  that  was  ever  de 
nied  man." 

"  In  an  hour,  then,  I  will  meet  you  there." 
"  I  must  correct  you.    In  an  hour  you  will  find  me 
there." 

She  left  him,  retiring  with  her  aunt  and  the  Coun 
tess  Dagmar.  Lorry  remained  in  the  hall  with  Hal- 
font,  Prince  Bolaroz,  Mizrox  and  Anguish.  The 
conversation  ran  once  more  into  the  ever-recurring 
topic  of  the  day,  Gabriel's  confession.  The  Prince 
of  Dawsbergen  was  confined  in  the  Tower  with  his 
confederate,  Berrowag.  Reports  from  Dangloss  late 
in  the  afternoon  conveyed  the  intelligence  that 
the  prisoner  had  fallen  into  melancholia.  Berro 
wag  admitted  to  the  police  that  he  had  stood  guard 
at  the  door  while  Gabriel  entered  the  Prince's  room 


360  GRAUSTARK 

and  killed  him  as  he  slept.  He  described  the  cun 
ning,  deliberate  effort  to  turn  suspicion  to  the  Amer 
ican  by  leaving  bloodstains.  The  other  Dawsbergen 
nobles,  with  the  exception  of  two  who  had  gone  to 
the  capital  of  their  country  with  the  news  of  the 
catastrophe,  remained  close  to  the  hotel.  One  of 
them  confessed  that  but  little  sympathy  would  be 
felt  at  home  for  Gabriel,  who  was  hated  by  his  sub 
jects.  Already  there  was  talk  among  them  of  Prince 
Dantan,  his  younger  brother,  as  his  successor  to  the 
throne.  The  young  Prince  was  a  favorite  with  the 
people. 

Bolaroz  was  pleased  with  the  outcome  of  the 
sensational  accusation  and  the  consequent  removal 
of  complications  which  had  in  reality  been  unpleas 
ant  to  him. 

One  feature  of  the  scene  in  the  throne  room  was 
not  discussed,  although  it  was  uppermost  in  the 
minds  of  all.  The  positive  stand  taken  by  the  Prin 
cess  and  her  open  avowal  of  love  for  the  dashing 
American  were  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  serious 
wrinkles  on  the  brow  of  Halfont  and  the  faraway 
expression  that  came  frequently  to  his  eyes  revealed 
the  nature  of  his  thoughts.  The  greatest  problem 
of  them  all  was  still  to  be  solved. 

As  they  left  the  room  he  dropped  behind  and 
walked  out  beside  Lorry,  rather  timidly  detaining 
him  until  the  others  were  some  distance  ahead. 

"  You  were  closeted  with  the  Princess  this  morn 
ing,  Mr.  Lorry,  and  perhaps  you  can  give  me  the 
information  I  desire.  She  has  called  a  meeting  of 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  361 

the  ministers  and  leading  men  of  the  country  for  to 
morrow  morning.  Do  you  know  why  she  has  issued 
this  rather  unusual  call?  She  did  not  offer  any  ex 
planation  to  me." 

"  I  am  only  at  liberty  to  say,  your  excellency,  that 
it  concerns  the  welfare  of  Graustark,"  answered  the 
other,  after  a  moment's  thought.  They  walked  on 
in  silence  for  some  distance. 

"  I  am  her  uncle,  sir,  but  I  love  her  as  I  would 
my  own  child.  My  life  has  been  given  to  her  from 
the  day  that  her  mother,  my  sister,  died.  You  will 
grant  me  the  right  to  ask  you  a  plain  question.  Have 
you  told  her  that  you  love  her?  "  The  Count's  face 
was  drawn  and  white. 

"  I  have,  sir.  I  loved  her  before  I  knew  she  was 
a  Princess.  As  her  protector,  it  was  to  you  that  I 
would  have  told  the  story  of  my  unfortunate  love 
long  ago,  but  my  arrest  and  escape  prevented.  It 
was  not  my  desire  or  intention  to  say  to  her  what  I 
could  not  speak  about  to  you.  I  do  not  want  to  be 
looked  upon  as  a  coward  who  dares  not  face  difficul 
ties.  My  love  has  not  been  willingly  clandestine, 
and  it  has  been  in  spite  of  her  most  righteous  objec 
tions.  We  have  both  seen  the  futility  of  love,  how 
ever  strong  and  pure  it  may  be.  I  have  hoped,  your 
excellency,  and  always  shall." 

"  She  has  confessed  her  love  to  your  privately?  " 
asked  Halfont. 

"  Against  her  will,  against  her  judgment,  sir." 

"  Then  the  worst  has  come  to  pass,"  groaned  the 
old  Count.  Neither  spoke  for  some  time.  They 


362  GRAUSTARK 

were  near  the  foot  of  the  staircase  when  Halfont 
paused  and  grasped  Lorry's  arm.  Steadily  they 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes. 

"  I  admire  you  more  than  any  man  I  have  ever 
known,"  said  the  Count,  huskily.  "  You  are  the 
soul  of  honor,  of  courage,  of  manliness.  But,  my 
God,  you  cannot  become  the  husband  of  a  Princess 
of  Graustark!  I  need  not  tell  you  that,  however. 
You  must  surely  understand." 

"  I  do  understand,"  said  Lorry,  dizzily.  "  I  am 
not  a  prince,  as  you  are  saying  over  and  over  again 
to  yourself.  Count  Halfont,  every  born  American 
may  become  ruler  of  the  greatest  nation  in  the  world 
— the  United  States.  His  home  is  his  kingdom ;  his 
wife,  his  mother,  his  sisters  are  his  queens  and  his 
princesses ;  his  fellow  citizens  are  his  admiring  sub 
jects  if  he  is  wise  and  good.  In  my  land  you  will 
find  the  poor  man  climbing  to  the  highest  pinnacle, 
side  by  side  with  the  rich  man.  The  woman  I  love 
is  a  Princess.  Had  she  been  the  lowliest  maid  in 
all  that  great  land  of  ours,  still  would  she  have  been 
my  queen,  I  her  king.  When  first  I  loved  the  mis 
tress  of  Graustark  she  was,  you  must  not  forget, 
Miss  Guggenslockcr.  I  have  said  all  this  to  you,  sir, 
not  in  egotism  nor  in  bitterness,  but  to  show  my 
right  to  hope  in  the  face  of  all  obstacles.  We  recog 
nize  little  as  impossible.  Until  death  destroys  this 
power  to  love  and  to  hope  I  must  say  to  you  that  I 
shall  not  consider  the  Princess  Yetive  beyond  my 
reach.  Frankly,  I  cannot,  sir." 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  363 

The  Count  heard  him  through,  unconscious  ad 
miration  mingling  with  the  sadness  in  his  eyes. 

"  There  are  some  obstacles  that  bravery  and  per 
severance  cannot  overcome,  my  friend,"  he  said, 
slowly.  "  One  of  them  is  fate." 

"  As  fate  is  not  governed  by  law  or  custom,  I  have 
the  best  reason  in  the  world  to  hope,"  said  Lorry, 
yet  modestly. 

"  I  would  indeed,  sir,  that  you  were  a  Prince  of 
the  realm,"  fervently  cried  the  Count,  and  Lorry 
was  struck  by  the  fact  that  he  repeated,  word  for 
word,  the  wish  Gaspon  had  uttered  some  hours  be 
fore. 

By  this  time  they  were  joined  by  the  others, 
whereupon  Grenfall  hurried  eagerly  to  the  balcony, 
conscious  of  being  half  an  hour  early,  but  glad  of 
the  chance  afforded  for  reflection  and  solitude.  Sit 
ting  on  the  broad  stone  railing  he  leaned  back  against 
a  pillar  and  looked  into  the  night  for  his  thoughts. 
Once  more  the  moon  was  gleaming  beyond  St.  Val 
entine's,  throwing  against  the  sky  a  jagged  silhouette 
of  frowning  angles,  towering  gables  and  monstrous 
walls,  the  mountain  and  the  monastery  blending  into 
one  great  misty  product  of  the  vision.  Voices  came 
up  from  below,  as  they  did  on  that  night  five  weeks 
ago,  bringing  the  laughter  and  song  of  happy  hearts. 
Music  swelled  through  the  park  from  the  band  gal 
lery;  from  afar  off  came  the  sounds  of  revelry.  The 
people  of  Edelweiss  were  rejoicing  over  the  unex 
pected  deliverance  from  a  fate  so  certain  that  the 
escape  seemed  barely  short  of  miraculous. 


364  GRAUSTARK 

Every  sound,  every  rustle  of  the  wind  through 
the  plants  that  were  scattered  over  the  balcony 
caused  him  to  look  toward  the  door  through  which 
she  must  come  to  him. 

At  last  she  appeared,  and  he  hastened  to  meet  her. 
As  he  took  her  hands  in  his,  she  said  softly,  dream 
ily,  looking  over  his  shoulder  toward  the  mountain's 
crest: 

"  The  same  fair  moon,"  and  smiled  into  his  eyes. 

"  The  same  fair  maid  and  the  same  man,"  he 
added.  "  I  believe  the  band  is  playing  the  same  air ; 
upon  my  soul,  I  do." 

"  Yes,  the  same  air,  La  Paloma.  It  is  my  lullaby. 
Come,  let  us  walk.  I  cannot  sit  quietly  now.  Talk 
to  me.  Let  me  listen  and  be  happy." 

Slowly  they  paced  the  wide  balcony,  through  the 
moonlight  and  the  shadows,  her  hand  resting  on  his 
arm,  his  clasping  it  gently.  Love  obstructs  the  flow 
of  speech ;  the  heart-beats  choke  back  the  words  and 
fill  the  throat.  Lorry  talked  but  little,  she  not  at  all. 
Times  there  were  when  they  covered  the  full  length 
of  the  balcony  without  a  word.  And  yet  they  under 
stood  each  other.  The  mystic,  the  enchanting 
silence  of  love  was  fraught  with  a  conversation  felt, 
not  heard. 

"  Why  are  you  so  quiet?  "  he  asked,  at  last,  stop 
ping  near  the  rail. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  why.  It  seems  to  me  that  I 
am  afraid  of  you,"  she  answered,  a  shy  quaver  in 
her  voice. 

"  Afraid  of  me?    I  don't  understand." 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  365 

"  Nor  do  I.  You  are  not  as  you  were  before  this 
morning.  You  are  different — yes,  you  make  me 
feel  that  I  am  weak  and  helpless  and  that  you  can 
say  to  me  '  come  '  and  '  go  '  and  I  must  obey.  Isn't  it 
odd  that  I,  who  have  never  known  submissiveness, 
should  so  suddenly  find  myself  tyrannized? "  she 
asked,  smilingly  faintly. 

"  Shall  I  tell  you  why  you  are  afraid  of  me?  "  he 
asked. 

"  You  will  say  it  is  because  I  am  forgetting  to  be 
a  Princess." 

"  No ;  it  is  because  you  no  longer  look  upon  me  as; 
you  did  in  other  days.  It  is  because  I  am  a  possi 
bility,  an  entity  instead  of  a  shadow.  Yesterday 
you  were  the  Princess  and  looked  down  upon  the 
impossible  suitor;  to-day  you  find  that  you  have 
given  yourself  to  him  and  that  you  do  not  regard  the 
barrier  as  insurmountable.  You  were  not  timid 
until  you  found  your  power  to  resist  gone.  To-day 
you  admit  that  I  may  hope,  and  in  doing  so  you 
open  a  gate  through  the  walls  of  your  pride  and 
prejudice  that  can  never  be  closed  against  the  love 
within  and  the  love  without.  You  are  afraid  of  me 
because  I  am  no  longer  a  dream,  but  a  reality.  Am 
I  not  right,  Yetive?  " 

She  looked  out  over  the  hazy,  moonlit  park. 

"  Yesterday  I  might  have  disputed  all  you  say ; 
to-day  I  can  deny  nothing." 

Leaning  upon  the  railing,  they  fell  into  a  silent 
study  of  the  parade  ground  and  its  strollers.  Their 
thoughts  were  not  of  the  walkers  and  chatterers,  nor 


366  GRAUSTARK 

of  the  music,  nor  of  the  night.  They  were  of  the 
day  to  come. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  how  you  said  '  because  I  love 
him,'  this  morning,  sweetheart,"  said  Lorry,  betray 
ing  his  reflections.  "  You  defied  the  whole  world 
in  those  four  words.  They  were  worth  dying  for." 

"  How  could  I  help  it?  You  must  not  forget  that 
you  had  just  leaped  into  the  lion's  den  defenseless, 
because  you  loved  me.  Could  I  deny  you  then? 
Until  that  momnt  I  had  been  the  Princess  ada 
mant  ;  in  a  second's  time  you  swept  away  every  safe 
guard,  every  battlement,  and  I  surrendered  as  only 
a  woman  can.  But  it  really  sounded  shocking,  didn't 
it?  So  theatrical." 

"  Don't  look  so  distressed  about  it,  dear.  You 
couldn't  help  it,  remember,"  he  said,  approvingly. 

"  Ach,  I  dread  to-morrow's  ordeal !  "  she  said,  and 
he  felt  the  arm  that  touched  his  own  tremble.  "  What 
will  they  say  ?  What  will  they  do  ?  " 

"  To-morrow  will  tell.  It  means  a  great  deal  to 
both  of  us.  If  they  will  not  submit — what  then?  " 

"  What  then — what  then?  "  she  murmured,  faintly. 

Across  the  parade,  coming  from  the  direction  of 
the  fountain,  Harry  Anguish  and  Dagmar  were 
slowly  walking.  They  were  very  close  together,  an 
his  head  was  bent  until  it  almost  touched  hers.  As 
they  drew  nearer,  the  dreamy  watchers  on  the  bal 
cony  recognized  them. 

"  They  are  very  happy,"  said  Lorry,  knowing  that 
she  was  also  watching  the  strollers. 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  367 

"  They  are  so  sure  of  each  other,"  she  replied, 
sadly. 

When  almost  directly  beneath  the  rail,  the  Coun 
tess  glanced  upward,  impelled  by  the  strange  instinct 
of  an  easily  startled  love,  confident  that  prying  eyes 
were  upon  her.  She  saw  the  dark  forms  leaning 
over  the  rail  and  rather  jerkily  brought  her  com 
panion  to  a  standstill  and  to  a  realization  of  his  posi 
tion.  Anguish  turned  his  eyes  aloft. 

"  Can  you,  fair  maid,  tell  me  the  names  of  those 
beautiful  stars  I  see  in  the  dark  dome  above?  "  he 
asked,  in  a  loud,  happy  voice.  "  Oh,  can  they  be 
eyes?  " 

"  Eyes,  most  noble  sir,"  replied  his  companion. 
"  There  are  no  stars  so  bright." 

"  Methought  they  were  diamonds  in  the  sky  at 
first.  Eyes  like  those  must  belong  to  some  fair 
divinity." 

"  They  do,  fair  student,  and  to  a  divinity  well 
worth  worshiping.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  men 
offer  themselves  as  sacrifices  upon  her  altars." 

"  Unless  my  telescope  deceives  me,  I  discern  a  very 
handsome  sacrifice  up  there,  so  I  suppose  the  altar 
must  be  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood." 

"  Not  a  hand's  breadth  beneath  her  eyes,"  laughed 
the  Countess,  as  she  fled  precipitately  up  the  steps, 
followed  by  the  jesting  student." 

"  Beware  of  a  divinity  in  wrath,"  came  a  sweet, 
clear  voice  from  the  balcony,  and  Anguish  called 
out  from  his  safe  retreat,  like  the  boy  he  was : 

"  Ah,  who's  afraid !  " 


368  GRAUSTARK 

The  Princess  was  laughing  softly,  her  eyes  ra 
diant  as  they  met  those  of  her  companion,  amused 
yet  grave. 

"  Does  he  have  a  care?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  fear  not.     He  loves  a  Countess." 

"  He  has  not  to  pay  the  price  of  ambition,  then?  " 
said  she,  softly. 

"  Ambition  is  the  cheapest  article  in  the  world," 
he  said.  "  It  concerns  only  a  man's  self." 


XXVIII 

THE    MAID    OF    GRAUSTARK 

Expectancy,  concern,  the  dread  of  uncertainty 
marked  the  countenances  of  Graustark's  ministers 
and  her  chief  men  as  they  sat  in  the  council  chamber 
on  the  day  following,  awaiting  the  appearance  of 
their  Princess,  at  whose  call  they  were  unexpectedly 
assembled.  More  than  two  score  eyes  glanced  ner 
vously  toward  the  door  from  time  to  time. 

All  realized  an  emergency.  No  sooner  were  they 
out  of  one  dilemma  than  another  cast  its  prospects 
across  their  path,  creating  the  fear  that  rejoicing 
would  be  short.  While  none  knew  the  nature  of  the 
business  that  called  them  together,  each  had  a  stub 
born  suspicion  that  it  related  to  the  stirring  declara 
tions  of  the  day  before.  Not  one  in  that  assembly 
but  had  heard  the  vivid,  soulful  sentence  from  the 
throne.  Not  one  but  wished  in  secret  as  Gaspon  and 
Halfont  had  wished  in  open  speech. 

When  the  Princess  entered  with  the  prime  minis 
ter  they  narrowly  scanned  the  face  so  dear  to  them. 
Determination  and  cowardice  were  blended  in  the 
deep  blue  eyes,  pride  and  dejection  in  the  firm  step, 
strength  and  weakness  in  the  loving  smile  she  be 
stowed  upon  the  faithful  counsellors.  After  the 

369 


370  GRAUSTARK 

greetings  she  requested  them  to  draw  chairs  about 
the  great  table.  Seating  herself  in  her  accustomed 
seat,  she  gazed  over  the  circle  of  anxious  faces  and 
realized,  more  than  at  any  time  in  her  young  life, 
that  she  was  frail  and  weal:  beyond  all  comparison. 
How  small  she  was  to  rule  over  those  strong,  wise 
men  of  hers;  how  feeble  the  hand  that  held  the 
sceptre. 

"  My  lords,"  she  said,  summoning  all  her  strength 
of  mind  and  heart,  "  I  am  gratified  to  find  you  so 
ready  to  respond  to  the  call  of  your  whimsical  sover 
eign.  Yesterday  you  came  with  hearts  bowed  down 
and  in  deepest  woe.  To-day  I  assemble  you  here 
that  I  may  ask  your  advice  concerning  the  events  of 
that  strange  day.  Bolaroz  will  do  as  he  has  prom 
ised.  We  are  to  have  the  extension  papers  this 
afternoon,  and  Graustark  may  breathe  again  the 
strong,  deep  breath  of  hope.  You  well  remember 
my  attitude  on  yesterday.  You  were  shocked,  horri 
fied,  amazed  by  my  seemingly  ignoble  efforts  to  pre 
serve  my  preserver's  life.  We  will  pass  over  that, 
however.  It  is  to  discuss  my  position  that  I  have 
called  you  here.  To  begin,  I  would  have  sacrificed 
my  kingdom,  as  you  know,  to  save  him.  He  was  in 
nocent  and  I  loved  him.  If,  on  yesterday,  I  would 
not  let  my  kingdom  stand  between  me  and  my  love, 
I  cannot  do  so  to-day.  I  have  called  you  here  to 
tell  you,  my  lords,  that  I  have  promised  to  become 
the  wife  of  the  man  who  would  have  given  his  life 
for  you  and  for  me — that  I  love  as  a  woman,  not  as 
a  Princess." 


THE  MAID  OF  GRAUSTARK          371 

The  silence  of  death  stole  into  the  room.  Every 
man's  eyes  were  glued  upon  the  white  face  of  the 
Princess  and  none  could  break  the  spell.  They  had 
expected  it,  yet  the  shock  was  overwhelming;  they 
had  feared  it,  yet  the  announcement  stupefied  them. 
She  looked  straight  before  her,  afraid  to  meet  the 
eyes  of  her  subjects,  knowing  that  sickening  dis 
approval  dwelt  in  them.  Not  a  word  was  uttered 
for  many  seconds.  Then  old  Caspar's  tense  muscles 
relaxed  and  his  arms  dropped  limply  from  their 
crossed  position  on  his  breast. 

"  My  child,  my  child !  "  he  cried,  lifelessly.  "  You 
cannot  do  this  thing !  " 

"  But  the  people?  "  cried  Gaspon,  his  eyes  gleam 
ing.  "  You  cannot  act  against  the  will  of  the  people. 
Our  laws,  natural  and  otherwise,  proscribe  the  very 
act  you  have  in  mind.  The  American  cannot  go 
upon  our  throne;  no  man,  unless  he  be  of  royal 
blood,  can  share  it  with  you.  If  you  marry  him  the 
laws  of  our  land — you  know  them  well — will  pro 
hibit  us  from  recognizing  the  marriage." 

"  Knowing  that,  my  lords,  I  have  come  to  ask 
you  to  revise  our  laws.  My  throne  will  not  be  dis 
graced  by  the  man  I  would  have  share  it  with  me." 
She  spoke  as  calmly  as  if  she  were  making  the  most 
trivial  request  instead  of  asking  her  ministers  to 
overthrow  and  undo  the  laws  and  customs  of  ages 
and  dynasties. 

"  The  law  of  nature  cannot  be  changed,"  muttered 
Caspar,  as  if  to  himself. 

"  In  the  event  that  the  custom  cannot  be  changed, 


372  GRAUSTARK 

I  shall  be  compelled  to  relinquish  my  right  to  oc 
cupy  the  throne  and  to  depart  from  among  you.  It 
would  break  my  heart,  my  lords,  to  resort  to  this 
monstrous  sacrifice,  but  I  love  one  man,  first,  my 
crown  and  my  people  after  him." 

"  You  would  not  leave  us — you  would  not  throw 
aside  as  despised  the  crown  your  ancestors  wore  for 
centuries  ?  "  cried  Gaspon.  "  Is  Your  Royal  High 
ness  mad?  " 

The  others  were  staring  with  open  mouths  and  icy 
hearts. 

"  Yes,  as  much  as  it  would  grieve  me,  I  would  do 
all  this,"  she  answered,  firmly,  not  daring  to  look 
at  her  uncle.  She  knew  his  eyes  were  upon  her  and 
that  condemnation  lurked  in  their  depths.  Her  heart 
ached  to  turn  to  him  with  a  prayer  for  forgiveness, 
but  there  could  be  no  faltering  now. 

"  I  ask  you,  my  lords,  to  acknowledge  the  mar 
riage  of  your  ruler  to  Grcnfall  Lorry.  I  am  to  be 
his  wife;  but  I  entreat  you  to  grant  me  happiness 
without  making  me  endure  the  misery  that  will  come 
to  me  if  I  desert  my  father's  throne  and  the  people 
who  have  worshipped  me  and  to  whom  I  am  bound 
by  a  tie  that  cannot  be  broken.  I  do  not  plead  so 
much  for  the  right  to  rule  as  I  do  for  the  one  who 
may  rule  after  I  am  gone.  I  want  my  own  to  follow 
me  on  the  throne  of  Graustark." 

Then  followed  a  long,  animated  discussion,  grow 
ing  brighter  and  more  hopeful  as  the  speakers'  will 
ing  hearts  warmed  to  the  proposition.  Lorry  was 
a  favorite,  but  he  could  not  be  their  Prince.  Heredi- 


THE  MAID  OF  GRAUSTARK          378 

tary  law  prohibited.  Still  his  children,  if  God  gave 
him  children,  might  be  declared  rightful  heirs  to  the 
throne  of  their  mother,  the  Princess.  The  more 
they  talked,  the  more  the  problem  seemed  to  solve 
itself.  Many  times  the  Princess  and  her  wise  men 
met  and  overcame  obstacles,  huge  at  first,  minimized 
in  the  end,  all  because  they  loved  her  and  she  loved 
them.  The  departure  from  traditionary  custom,  as 
suggested  by  the  Princess, — coupled  with  the  threat 
to  abdicate, — was  the  weightiest,  yet  the  most  deli 
cate  question  that  had  ever  come  before  the  chief 
men  of  Graustark.  It  meant  the  beginning  of  a 
new  line  of  princes,  new  life,  new  blood,  a  complete 
transformation  of  order  as  it  had  come  down 
through  the  reigns  of  many  Ganlooks.  For  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  the  country  a  woman  was  sov 
ereign  ;  for  the  first  time  there  had  been  no  direct 
male  heir  to  the  throne.  With  the  death  of  old 
Prince  Ganlook  the  masculine  side  of  the  illustrious 
family  ended.  No  matter  whom  his  daughter  took 
for  a  husband,  the  line  was  broken.  Why  not  the 
bold,  progressive,  rich  American?  argued  some. 
Others  fell  in  with  the  views  of  the  few  who  first 
surrendered  to  the  will  of  Yetive,  until  at  last  but 
one  remained  in  opposition.  Count  Caspar  held  out 
until  all  were  against  him,  giving  way  finally  in  a 
burst  of  oratory  which  ended  in  tears  and  sobs,  and 
which  made  the  sense  of  the  gathering  unanimous. 

The  Princess  Yetive  won  the  day,  so  far  as  her 
own  position,  was  concerned.  But,  there  was  Lorry 
to  be  considered. 


374  GRAUSTARK 

"  Mr.  Lorry  knows  that  I  called  you  together  in 
consultation,  but  he  does  not  know  that  I  would 
have  given  up  my  crown  for  him.  I  dared  not  tell 
him  that.  He  knows  only  that  I  was  to  ask  your 
advice  on  the  question  of  marriage,  and  that  alone. 
Last  night  he  told  me  he  was  confident  you  would 
agree  to  the  union.  He  is  an  American,  and  does 
not  appreciate  the  difficulties  attending  such  an  es 
pousal.  Over  there  distinction  exists  only  in  wealth 
and  intelligence — position,  I  believe  they  call  it,  but 
not  such  as  ours.  He  is  a  strange  man,  and  we  have 
yet  to  consult  him  as  to  the  arrangement,'*  she  said 
to  her  lords,  pursing  her  lips.  "  I  fear  he  will  object 
to  the  plan  we  have  agreed  upon,"  she  went  on.  "  He 
is  sensitive,  and  it  is  possible  he  will  not  like  the 
idea  of  putting  our  marriage  to  the  popular  vote  of 
the  people." 

"  I  insist,  however,  that  the  people  be  considered 
in  the  matter,"  said  Gaspon.  "  In  three  months' 
time  the  whole  nation  can  say  whether  it  sanctions 
the  revision  of  our  laws  of  heredity.  It  would  not  be 
right  or  just  for  us  to  say  who  shall  be  their  future 
rulers,  for  all  time  to  come,  without  consulting  them." 

"  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that  Graustark  al 
ready  idolizes  this  brave  American,"  said  Halfont, 
warmly.  "  He  has  won  her  affection.  If  the  ques 
tion  is  placed  before  the  people  to-morrow  in  proper 
form,  I  will  vouch  for  it  that  the  whole  nation  will 
rise  and  cry :  '  Long  live  the  Princess !  Long  live  the 
Prince  Consort ! '  " 


THE  MAID  OF  GRAUSTARK          375 

"  Going  back,  I  see,"  said  Sitzky,  the  guard,  some 
months  later,  addressing  a  very  busy  young  man, 
who  was  hurrying  down  the  platform  of  the  Edel 
weiss  railway  station  toward  the  special  train  wThich 
was  puffing  impatiently. 

"Hello,  Sitzky!  Is  it  you?  I'm  glad  to  see  you 
again.  Yes,  we  are  going  back  to  the  land  of  the 
Stars  and  Stripes."  The  speaker  was  Mr.  An 
guish. 

"  You'll  have  fine  company's  fer  as  Vienna,  too. 
D'you  ever  see  such  celebration's  dey're  havin'  here 
to-day?  You'd  t'ink  d'  whole  world  was  interested 
in  d'  little  visit  Her  Royal  Highness  is  goin'  to  pay 
to  Vienna.  Dummed  if  d'  whole  city,  soldiers  an' 
all,  ain't  down  here  to  see  'er  off.  Look  at  d'  crowd ! 
By  glory,  I  don't  b'lieve  we  c'n  pull  d'  train  out  of  d' 
station.  'Quainted  wid  any  of  d'  royal  crowd?  " 

"  Slightly,"  answered  Anguish,  smiling.  He  was 
watching  a  trim  figure  in  a  tailor-made  gown  as  it 
approached,  drawing  apart  from  the  throng.  It 
was  Mrs.  Harry  Van  Brugh  Anguish. 

"  Say,  you  must  cut  some  ice  wid  dese  people.  But 
dat's  jest  like  an  American,  dough,"  the  little  guard 
went  on.  "  De  Princess  married  an  American  an' 
dey  say  he's  goin'  to  put  d'  crown  away  where  d' 
moths  won't  git  at  it  an'  take  her  over  to  live  in 
Washington  fer  six  months.  Is  it  a  sure  t'ing?  " 

"  That's  right,  Sitzky.  She's  going  back  with  us 
and  then  we're  coming  back  with  her." 

"  Why  don't  he  keep  'cr  over  dere  when  he  gits 
her  dere?  What's  d'  use — what's  d'  use?  " 


876  GRAUSTARK 

"  Well,  she's  still  the  Princess  of  Graustark,  you 
know,  Sitzky.  She  can't  live  always  in  America." 

"  Got  to  be  here  to  hold  her  job,  eh?  " 

"  Inelegant,  but  correct.  Now,  look  sharp !  Where 
de  we  find  our — Ah !  "  His  wife  was  with  him  and 
he  forgot  Sitzky. 

The  guard  turned  to  watch  the  procession — a  file 
of  soldiers,  a  cavalry  troop,  carriages  and  then — the 
carriage  with  spirited  horses  and  gay  accoutrements. 
It  stopped  with  a  jangle  and  a  man  and  woman 
descended. 

"  The  Princess  !  "  cried  Sitzky. 

"  Long  live  the  Princess  !  "  cried  the  crowd.  "  God 
save  our  Yetive !  " 

Sitzky  started  as  if  shot,  staring  at  the  tall  man 
who  approached  with  the  smiling  Sovereign  of 
Graustark.  "  Well,"  he  gasped,  "  what  d'  you  t'ink 
o'  dat !  " 

The  train  that  was  to  carry  them  out  of  the  East 
into  the  West  puffed  and  snorted,  the  bell  clanged, 
the  people  cheered,  and  they  were  off.  Hours  later, 
as  the  car  whirled  through  the  Hungarian  plain, 
Yetive,  looking  from  her  window,  said  in  that  ex 
quisite  English  which  was  her  very  own : 

"  Ah,  the  world,  the  dear  world !  I  am  so  sorry 
for  queens !  " 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACIL  TY 


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